


Head Above Water

by LittleRocker



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Sirens (UK), Arya is 18, Arya is so badass, Brainwashing, Careless Arya, Careless Theon, Crack Treated Seriously, Domestic Fluff, Domestic Violence, Embarrassing moments, Engagement, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Gendry is protective but only towards Arya I think more or less, Gendry is so confused, Getting Together, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Jon Snow Knows Something, Jon Snow Still Knows Nothing, M/M, Overprotective Jon Snow, Overprotective Robb Stark, Overprotective Tormund, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rickon always gets in trouble, Robb Stark is a Gift, Robb is a doctor, Smut, Super Careless Rickon, Theon Greyjoy Needs a Hug, Tormund is so in love, Unhealthy Relationships, Writer!Jon Snow, but he’s also single, it’s funny and serious at the same time, it’s my first time ever so please be kind to me lol, just kidding, lack of sex, recovering, so are Tormund and Gendry, still not used to writing Gendrya
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-02-18 12:21:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 28,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21561046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleRocker/pseuds/LittleRocker
Summary: Robb works as an Emergency Medical Technician along with his mates Tormund and Gendry. When he receives an emergency call due to an abusive relationship, his love life is definitely going to change.Tormund has just proposed to the love of his life, but he’s so scared he might ruin their relationship that he ends up stopping his sex life with his boyfriend.Gendry can’t understand a thing about his new job, he would like to go back to college but at least his almost-girlfriend is kind enough to let him win at arm wrestling.Theon is in love with his boyfriend and would do anything to keep him by his side. Even if that means completely submitting to him.Jon just wants to finish writing his book and stop bringing his little cousin to the hospital. And, obviously, he wants to make love to his fiancée.Arya is just sick of high school and wants to find a job, no matter what her family says.Or, where Tormund is a badass ambulance driver and is engaged to Robb’s cousin, Gendry is the newbie who’s dating Robb’s sister, Theon is sad and needs lots of hugs, Arya is tired, Jon wants to fuck and Robb is a single man working with two idiots and has a sosia as a co-worker.
Relationships: Arya Stark/Gendry Waters, Joffrey Baratheon/Sansa Stark (mentioned), Ramsay Bolton/Theon Greyjoy, Theon Greyjoy/Robb Stark, Tormund Giantsbane/Jon Snow
Comments: 46
Kudos: 88





	1. ROBB

**Author's Note:**

> A few things before you start reading:  
> 1) I’M NOT A DOCTOR. I do researches to make this look plausible but still, I might be wrong about a few things. Constructive criticism, advices and informations are more than welcome :)  
> 2) English is not my mother tongue, I apologize for all the mistakes you’ll find while reading. Again, advices are welcomed.  
> 3) All the descriptions are based on the TV show (I watched that before reading the books, so that’s how I’m picturing the characters). And this is also based on Sirens (UK) a comedy of 6 episodes where Richard Madden plays the part of a cute gay paramedic.  
> 4) Every chapter will have a different point of view.  
> 5) This story is called “Head Above Water” because the song Head Above Water by my girl Avril Lavigne really reminds me of Theon. Go and take a listen to it if you want to ;).  
> 6) Hope you like it!

Almost as if that was a tradition, the strawberry blond-haired child with blue eyes was sitting on the first-aid table with a skinned knee and a sore ankle to keep him company.

Robb Stark, twenty-six years old, red hair and the same pair of bright blue eyes as the child, took care of disinfecting the wound on his brother's knee and covering it with a large indigo patch.

-I know you love me, but you don't need to show up here with something broken, every time you want to see me.- he joked, but although his lips were curved in a smile, he had an incredibly serious look.

Rickon, his little brother, eleven years of tumbling over his shoulder and a whole life to make others in front of him, replied with a snort: - It's not my fault if Sansa's boyfriend is a dickh... -  
-Don't swear.- Robb said, pointing a finger at him, in a typical gesture of an overprotective older brother, a gesture that he found himself doing more than he should have with all his brothers and sisters.

-I always tell you to put on your knee pads and helmet when you go skateboarding, but you never, even once you listened to me. And then you complain if you always end up here. - Robb crossed his arms to his chest at the sight of his little brother who rolled his eyes, and added: - It's your fault if you do everything he tells you, Rickon.-

Unfortunately, Robb knew his sister's boyfriend Joffrey well, and he just didn't understand how at twenty-year-old man could find fun in seeing an eleven-year-old kid getting hurt.

-What did he force you to do? The largest ramp in the park without protections? Rickon, you can barely do the smallest. -

His little brother was a sucker for getting in trouble, like the rest of his family, on the other hand. However, only him and Arya, their 18-year-old sister, seemed to be the ones who always ended up getting hurt. And for Robb, who worked as a paramedic, seeing them entering the front door of the emergency room was always a blow to the heart.

-He said he would have given me twenty dollars if I could skate down a stairway rail.- the boy admitted, lowering his eyes to his battered red shoes.

-You're an idiot. Sometimes you surprise me.- commented Robb, bending down to unfasten the strings of Rickon's left shoe.

-It'll hurt a little, but you already know that.- he said, removing the shoe as delicately as possible, not at all surprised by the complaints that followed that procedure: - Robb, no, do it slowly, you‘re hurting me, it hurts! -

-It’s sprained ...- Robb said, after tapping Rickon's foot a couple of times.

-Next time you could end up hurting yourself seriously, is this what you want?!- When Robb's fingers moved to grab the cotton of his sock to slide it off his foot, Rickon winced more and clenched his fists around the edges of his shirt:  
-Robb, Robb, it hurts so much, that's enough! -

-Shh ...- Robb removed his hands from his little brother's foot and stood up to place a kiss on his forehead, trying to comfort him.  
-You have to be more careful.- he said.

-But Joffrey provokes me! -  
-And you don't have to listen to him. Why do you keep paying attention to what he says if you know it will always end up badly?- it was not a Robb thing to scold his brothers in the middle of his shift, but he could no longer bear to see Rickon showing up to him with some new wounds on his body, just because that sadistic Joffrey Baratheon had found a new pastime.

-At least he’ll shut up! - Rickon exclaimed, looking with wide eyes at every movement of his older brother: Robb had taken a pair of elastic bandages from a closet nearby, and he was carefully unrolling them.

-So the only way for you to shut up a bully is to please him?- Robb began to bandage the foot and the ankle of the child, while he nodded repeatedly: -Exactly. -  
Robb looked up at Rickon's big blue eyes, raising an eyebrow: - That's not how it works, young man. -

-It does work like this instead! the boy protested, groaning in pain as Robb tightened the band around his ankle tighter than necessary.

-How else can he leave me alone otherwise?! And if I even try to tell him something, he goes to Sansa and plays the part of the victim and she always ends up getting angry at me!-

Robb understood perfectly what Rickon meant to say: he had tried billions of times to convince Sansa that Joffrey was not the right guy for her, but she had answered only with a simple: "you are my big brother, nobody will ever be the right one for you". Which was a nice and good lie: there were millions of nicer and kinder boys than Joffrey, and Sansa could definitely do better. Robb was convinced that the only reason Sansa was so taken by the captivating blond was because Joffrey had been her first current boyfriend. They had been together for a year now, and Sansa was almost twenty. Not that there was anything wrong with having your first boyfriend at the end of your teenage hood, far from it, but Robb feared that that was blocking her, that Sansa was afraid that if she called it quits with Joffrey, after him there wouldn’t have been anybody else. So yes, Robb knew what Rickon meant when he said Sansa always was always on her boyfriend’s side, even when he turned out to be a perfect fool.

-Rickon, I'm tired of always seeing you on this bed, okay? So, you’re either talking about it with mom and dad or me and Jon if you want to, but this needs to stop, have I made myself clear?- Robb put on the most authoritarian tone he had, and felt proud of himself when the child did nothing but nod.

-And stop being reckless, whether it's Joffrey or nobody to “inspire” you, I don't care much: this thing has to come to an end.-

Robb handed Rickon a pair of crutches that the child immediately grabbed and began to use with skill.  
-Be careful. - the older brother warned him, opening the door and escorting the child down the corridor.

-I know how to do it now ... - the child whispered, imitating Robb in his search for Jon: Jon Snow, Robb and Rickon’s cousins, who was raised as if he was their biological brother, or rather, half brother, had been the kind soul who had taken care of getting Rickon to the emergency room. Robb was looking for him so he could tell him how to take care of the kid (and even beg his mother to ground him for a long time) but when the two Starks finally caught a glimpse of his cousin, they realized that he wasn't much in speaking conditions: Jon and Robb were the same age. It was Robb who had introduced him to Tormund, his gigantic work colleague. He did that because he knew the two could get along. And not by chance he was right: Jon and Tormund got along so well that the 36-year-old had proposed to him just three months before, and not by coincidence, they were busy making out angrily and passionately right next to the vending machine.

-Jesus, Tormund: you‘re at work.- Robb teased him, as Rickon pretended to throw up.

Jon blushed instantly, detaching himself from his partner and bending down to pick up Rickon's skateboard from the ground: -How are you? Damn rascal!- he exclaimed worriedly, looking at his cousin with a mixture of anger and tenderness.  
-Are crutches really necessary, Robb? -

The twenty-six year old nodded: -Unfortunately, they are... You already know how to handle it, right? Ice or frozen peas on his ankle for twenty minutes every hour. While you're there, once you‘ve taken him home, tell my mother to ground him for all year, okay? -

Jon chuckled, despite the sound of his laughter being attenuated by Rickon's raspberry: -I'll keep that in mind.- he said, only to turn to his fiancé: -Bye love, I’ll see you later.-  
-You can betcha.- Tormund answered, accepting a last kiss and excusing Jon with a loud smack on his backside. Jon's cheeks were tinged with dark pink, while the red-haired man waved at Rickon with his hand.

-Why don't you come home and tell mom about it yourself, uh?- asked Rickon, his concentration fixed on Robb: since he had gone to live on his own, Rickon had become even more sticky towards him. Robb guessed it was because he was probably missing an older brother around the house. Of course, Bran was sixteen, but Rickon did nothing but repeating how nerd he was.

Robb smiled sweetly at his little brother: -As soon as I can I’ll stop for dinner, okay?-

-Why don't you just come back home?! You always say that your pay is shitty and then you are more single than Aunt Lysa, what do you need an apartment for? -

Tormund’s laughter expanded throughout the corridor. Robb was about to reply, when Rickon suddenly stared, pointing at a figure on the shoulder of his older brother: - Look Robb! There‘s the dude who looks like you! -

Tormund laughed even more loudly, and even Jon couldn't hold back a smile: it was since Robb had started working there that everyone did nothing but telling him that he was identical to Ashley GreenWick, a boy who, besides having red hair and blue eyes, was also sexually attracted to men.

-Stop it.- he protested, but they all seemed to ignore him, because yes, Robb himself admitted it, he and Ashley looked alike.

Ashley was conversing with Stuart, another colleague of theirs, probably about something useless, and it wasn't long before a tall, olive-skinned boy joined them: Stuart, Ashley and Rachid had always been more or less the fun side of the emergency room, a trio of big babies for whom everyone had a weak side.

Since Ashley and Robb were both single and gay, Rachid had tried several times to get them together, until Stuart's comment "They’re almost twins, it would be sick" didn't save them both.

-You look the same! - Rickon exclaimed again, chuckling.

Robb pointed menacingly at the front door: -Home right now, you naughty kid. And don’t you dare show up here too soon. -

Seizing that phrase as a definitive warning, the child let Jon escort him out.

-That kid is a walking disaster, it‘s something like the third time he shows up here this week.- Tormund chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. To his regret, Robb found himself correcting him: -Fourth. He also passed by yesterday: he had a headache because his neighbor threw a shoe at his forehead after he nearly hit her Chihuahua with his bicycle.-

-And wait til he grows up.- Placing his hands in the pockets of his tremendous green uniform, Tormund started heading toward the outer area reserved for ambulances, urging Robb to follow him with a nod.

-Rickon will never grow up.- Said the twenty-six year old.

-Anyway, I see that things are going well with Jon. Have you already started the plannings? -

Tormund grinned: -From red head to red head, tuxes are hard to remove, especially to others.-

-Jesus, I didn't mean this! You're a jerk. - Robb closed his eyes, wishing to take off his mind the image of the red giant who stripped his innocent little cousin.

-You wouldn't be so picky, if you weren't lonely like an stray dog: you should think a little more about your private life, not mine and Gendry's.-

No, he didn't have to. I mean, yes, he had to, because he was really just like a stray dog, but Tormund was this close to marrying his cousin and best friend, and that huge dickhead called Gendry had just started dating Arya, his younger sister.

No he didn't have to think about his love life. Not before he made sure his family had no problems.

-You just make sure you’re treating Jon right: if I end up knowing he’s sad because of you I‘m going to beat your ass.-  
-Pff, you could never beat me in a fight.- Tormund taunted, chuckling.

When they reached the garage, they found Gendry waiting for them next to their "group ambulance".

-Look at that, we were just talking shit about you.- Tormund joked, causing the young man to frown and look instinctively in the direction of Robb: Gendry was twenty-one, dark hair, tanned skin and whether the law allowed it or not, for Robb he was too old for Arya.

-Do not expect me to reassure you: we were really talking shit about you.- Robb made it clear: there was something in Gendry that he just didn't like. Not only was he a newbie and he was already allowed to be with experts, but by doing so, getting to know Robb, and consequently Tormund, and consequently Jon, he had ended up getting to know Arya, which Robb would have more than avoided.

-You are assholes.- the newbie pointed out, with a grimace.

Tormund decided to ignore him and move on to a completely different topic: -Ready for a new afternoon smelling like latex and medicinal? -

Robb grunted: you never got used to that smell.

-Still no emergency today? - Tormond said, sarcastic: living in a small town made up mostly of perennial drunks involved millions of phone calls in just a few hours: when they were forced to do the night shift, they could barely even bring a patient to the hospital room that they were supposed to to leave again.

Not even on purpose, the red light of the loudspeaker lit up, and the voice of their boss, Olenna Tyrell, expanded throughout the vehicle and outside its open doors:  
-Emergency at 123 of Chapel Lane, domestic violence, apparently: it's your turn, Gay Team. -

Instinctively, Robb and Tormund avoided commenting, but Gendry, who was the new guy, still hadn’t stopped snorting at the nickname that their boss had given them: -Why does it have to be “Gay Team"? I'm not even gay! -

-Get used to it, newbie.-Tormund asked him, while Robb whispered softly: -No, unfortunately you are not gay. -

Unfortunately for him, Gendry heard him: -Come on, just because your sister and I are seeing each other?- he protested as Tormund settled in the driver's seat and Robb sat next to him, leaving Gendry the only option to settle in the back of the ambulance.

-Precisely.- Robb said, fastening his belt with a quick gesture.

Chapel Lane was not that far from the emergency room, and with Tormund’s professional pilot-like driving they arrived in a flash.

Robb had a strange feeling: people never really called due to domestic violence, in a city like that: it often happened, very often, that they had to help old drunk people, guys at school who fainted from pre-test anxiety, old people suffering from heart diseases. But episodes of domestic violence, Robb had never seen them before.

The three paramedics soon discovered that 123 of Chapel Lane was an apartment; the neighbor, a lady in her sixties with thick white curls, was positioned in front of the door  
of the apartment with her arms wrapped around her sweater and worried eyes: -They were fighting more than expected today- she said, while Gendry rang the bell.

Robb listened attentively to the words of the lady: -I tried to knock, but nobody answered me. I got worried.-

-You did the right thing, ma'am.- Robb assured her.

-Guys, no one is answering here.- said Gendry, alarmed.  
Tormund snapped his fingers, telling the rookie to move: -Now I'll show you how it's done.-

The red giant was one of the largest and strongest men Robb had ever dealt with, so only Gendry was surprised when Tormund was able to open the door with one hit of his shoulder .

Robb immediately noticed the overturned chairs and the shattered vases scattered all over the apartment even if his first priority was to find the person in need of help: in his heart, he hoped that Sansa would never have had to identify in such a situation, with that sociopathic boyfriend she had found herself with.

There was no sign of any girl in the house; it was a rather simple apartment, with a living room and kitchen divided only by a small arch and a large horizontal sliding window. Besides that room, there were only two more: - Tor, you check the one on the left. Robb ordered, grabbing the knob of the pretty white door.

He barely heard Tormund's voice exclaiming -There is no one here.- when he saw the figure with long blond hair almost that almost reached her shoulders spilled on the floor.

The tub was full of water, the floor and the girl's clothes were wet.

Connecting the dots, Robb reached for the unconscious body and turned it back: well that was a cliffhanger. That was not a short-haired girl, but a long-haired boy.

He didn't have time to look at him better, because his body had begun to move by itself, positioning the palm of his hand on the chest of the unconscious boy and covering it with his other hand.

He pressed carefully against the sternum, but that did not seem to lead to anything: he tilted the boy's head backwards, gently taking his slightly shaggy and wet chin between his hands; he closed his nose with two fingers and placed his mouth against the victim's, beginning to blow. This was alternated with other chest compressions.

-Come on, come on.- he thought: that boy must have had his age more or less, and Robb didn’t think that drowning at twenty-six for abuse by your partner was the best way to leave this world.

The fainted boy opened his eyes abruptly, and Robb found himself a mixture of water and saliva sprayed over his uniform like a small fountain.

-Shh, shh ...- he whispered reassuringly, when the boy started to cough.

Gendry and Tormund entered the room in that precise moment: -Is he okay?- asked the redhead. Robb looked at the boy on the floor trying to regain consciousness.

-Yeah.- he replied.

\- Gendry, go get the stretcher. -

The new one obeyed instantly, running as fast as possible. Robb looked at his giant friend:  
-Tor, call the police.- he said pointing to the tub full of water with a nod of his head.

Tor rolled his eyes and grabbed the phone while the battered boy tried to get back on his feet, saying his first words in front of Robb: -No police, I'm fine.-

-Dude, if you say so after what they’ve done to you, you're not fine.- Tormund replied, placing the phone to his ear and moving into the living room.

-I said I'm fine.- the boy repeated stubbornly.

Robb put his hand on his shoulder when he tried to pull himself up: -Sir, we must take you to the hospital.-

\- Hospital my ass, I'm fine.- the boy retorted  
but he offered no further resistance.

Gendry arrived with the stretcher at that time, followed by Tormund: -The police will arrive at moments.- He said.

-No police.- the victim repeated, his identity still unknown, as the two paramedics tried to get him onto the stretcher.

-What? But haven you seen how you look like? You almost died drowned!- Gendry exclaimed, with a puff of fatigue from the effort involved in raising the stretcher. Unlike him, Tormond seemed to be carrying a newborn kitten.

-Yeah, almost ...- the boy whispered, more to himself than to the doctor.

When they left the apartment to take the man to the ambulance, Robb realized that most of the neighbors had left their apartments to see what was going on.

-For God's sake, Oberyn, I'm fine: don't look at me with that face!- man on the stretcher snapped, turning to a charming raven-haired man who had run to meet him.

-What happened to him? Is it serious? He’s going to recover, right? - he asked in one breath.

-As you can see the man is conscious, but he must be taken to hospital.- Robb explained patiently as he descended the stairs behind his friends, Oberyn behind his back.

-Then he’s not okay, if he has to be taken to the hospital, right? -

Robb bit his tongue: he admitted that if he found himself in a similar situation, with one of his siblings in a stretcher heading towards the hospital, he would have asked all those questions as well. But that man needed to be visited as soon as possible.

-Sir, you can join us in the hospital, if you wish.- said Tormund, barely getting a snort.

-Theon, what happened, what the fuck did he do to you? - continued Oberyn.

Theon. It was a beautiful name.

-Oberyn, shut up.- the boy on the stretcher exclaimed, who, for having almost risked dying , seemed to be doing too well.

-Wait for me at the hospital, Theon. I'll be there in a minute.- continued Oberyn; Robb noticed that his fingernails were black-painted and he had a gold necklace around his neck.

-You do it and I'll kill you, Oberyn.-

-Okay. -Robb intervened, raising his hands and turning towards the black-haired man.

-The patient must be taken to the hospital. You will discuss about it later: now we really have to go.-

Reluctantly, Oberyn paused and let the paramedics escort the patient into the ambulance. The police had just arrived, and Robb immediately recognized the figure of his father along with Jaime Lannister, the handsome cover boy, and Sandor Clegane, known as the Hound, perhaps the only man in the world able to compete with Tormond in terms of size.

-I said no police.- Theon, the boy on the stretcher, protested, leaning his head forward.

-Sir, you must calm down.- Robb told him as his two colleagues loaded the stretcher into the ambulance.

-Who did you call, sir? We are the same age! - the guy continued.

I just revived him, Robb thought, and still he allows himself to talk to me like this? Yes, was the answer, and strange to admit, but Robb liked that brazen character.

-Robb, you're staying in the back with the patient, aren't you?- Gendry asked hopefully.

Robb nodded: it was still early for the newbie to treat unmanageable patients. Besides, he didn't really know why, but Robb wanted to worry about that boy personally.

-I don't need to go to the hospital. - Theon continued.

\- I've already told you I'm fine. -

\- Robb, is there a sleeping pill or an anesthetic back there? I can't stand him anymore.- Tormund muttered, turning on the engine and sirens.

-Come here and say it to my face, asshole! - Theon snapped.

It was like dealing with a child. It was like dealing with Rickon.

-Sir, lie down. Don't make things worse, you need to rest.- Robb said, pressing a hand against the patient's shoulder, holding him on the stretcher.

-I said I'm fine! - Theon screamed.

Robb closed his eyes: if he could block one of Arya and Rickon's anger shots, he could also calm that boy.

-Sir, breathe.- he whispered, instinctively grabbing the young man's hand: it worked like this with his siblings, Robb began a physical contact, a little massage, and they calmed down. Jon said this worked only because Robb's hands were always warm, but if he tried instead, someone would have risked getting pneumonia.

Theon opened his mouth to resume screaming, but something stopped him: his eyes rested in terror on their entwined hands, and for a moment Robb was tempted to break off the contact. Then the boy squeezed his hand, slowly collapsing on the stretcher.

His eyes were green. They were a pair of pale green eyes that looked at Robb in the face for the first time without the intent of answering badly: -Why do I have to go to the hospital? - he asked softly.

Robb was surprised to be able to speak softly:  
-You risked to die, sir. We want to make sure that everything is okay. And we want you to get some rest. -

The grip on his hand grew weaker: the boy was exhausted. Only then Robb realized that his overpowering screams were not at all the characteristics of an arrogant behavior, but a real manifestation of panic.

The young man was white as a sheet: -He‘ll get angry, if I'm not home when he comes back.-

Robb couldn’t do anything other than shaking the guy’s hand a little stronger: how long, he wondered, had that boy been a victim of domestic violence?

He only hoped that his father would gather enough proofs to arrest the bastard who had reduced that poor man that way.

-Everything will be fine, you'll see.- Robb tried to comfort him.

-It won't be all right.- the boy replied.  
-It never goes well.-

\- Robb, is he still conscious? Why did he shut up? - Gendry's voice sounded muffled in  
Robb's ears: it was as if he couldn't concentrate on anything other than the boy holding his hand.

-He’s fine.- The red haired man replied, more to Theon than to Gendry. Meanwhile the patient was taking deep breaths, keeping his eyes closed and sweat running down his forehead.

When they arrived at the hospital Theon had fallen asleep. Robb did not want to wake him, not after having found him lying on the ground unconscious: he had two bags under his eyes deeper than those of the night-shift nurses, and Robb could not help wondering when it had been the last time that boy had slept peacefully.

He even found it worrying that the boy had managed to fall asleep on the way to the hospital.

-Sir, I need you to wake up a minute: I have to do a quick check up.-

-You can throw you check up up your ass.- the patient muttered, keeping his eyes closed.

Robb sighed: that man was not an easy guy to deal with.

-Sir.- he repeated, and slowly returned to grab his hand again.

At the touch, the boy's eyes widened: he was terrified.

\- Shh ... - Robb said softly.

\- It's safe here. -

Theon squeezed his hand so hard that for a moment Robb feared he could break it.

-What about the professional behavior, doctor?- the boy whispered.

Robb shrugged, not letting go of his hand: -A doctor's job is to help people get better. And holding your hand makes you feel better, as far as I can see.

-It's not that it makes me feel better. It's just ... Hurry up .-

Theon shook his head, teasingly sitting on the bed and letting go of his hand. Robb sighed: how could a guy who had just almost seen death be so ungrateful?

-Take your shirt off, please.- He said politely.

Something in Theon's eyes seemed to cool, and his hands began to tremble. Robb wondered what was underneath his shirt that looked so worrying: bruises, scratches, cuts? In any case, Robb had the duty to find out.

-Sir, Theon right? - Robb began: if there was one thing he was able to do was to calm the patients and his siblings in front of a particularly bad wound, and he could also do that with that boy, if he wanted.

-Yes.- said the boy.

-Okay then. You’re safe, you know? We are here to help you, and the police will surely have to ask you a few questions. What happened is serious, do you realize it? - Robb explained, using the same patience with which he gave Rickon science tutoring.

It was obvious that the answer was yes, the man recognized that what had happened to him was not something to be taken lightly, but despite this, despite being in a hospital bed after risking his life (after someone had tried to kill him), he didn't seem to have the slightest intention of pulling up his shirt, or explaining what exactly had happened.

-Nothing serious happened instead. -

-Sir, your neighbor called us stating that it was domestic violence- if there was one thing Robb was proud of, that was his patience: it was endless, and he had always been the only one along with his brother Bran able to bring order after a family discussion.

But Theon, who seemed to have very little patience, remained adamant: -Well, she was wrong.-

Robb then shrugged: -Take off your shirt then.-

-I do not want to do it.-

-Sir, you must cooperate. -

-I don't have to do anything, instead. -

-Please. We can help you.-

Robb had never found himself having to beg a man to undress (although Tormund and Rickon probably thought the opposite, but he could not do otherwise: that man had been abused, he had risked dying.) And whoever did that to him deserved to be arrested instantly, not when it was too late.

-You can't help me.- Theon whispered, but Robb didn’t mind that statement: - I can try. -

\- No you can not-

\- You can't know that, sir. -

\- I told you to stop calling me sir. - Theon snapped, crossing his arms and legs on the bed, like a child.

-You take off your shirt and I'll stop it, sir.- Robb tried to reach a compromise: it was the last chance he had left.

Theon stared into his eyes for a moment: his own pupils were dilated, like those of a lost puppy. Looking at it more closely, Robb could realize even more how beautiful that man actually was: he had blond hair, rather long, and a light beard framed his face. He had a pretty mole on his cheek, and his skin was almost as clear as Jon's.

Robb's eyes never left him when Theon slowly grabbed both edges of his shirt. Robb was ready to expect everything: bruises, cuts, cigarette burns, self-injured wounds. But Theon's skin was white and flawless, without the slightest sign of imperfection.

-Happy now?- said Theon, grinning to see the young doctor gasp.

Eventually, Robb ended up doing his check up, measuring the patient's pressure and heartbeat: it was all, strangely, in the norm. However, this did not allow the bathtub episode to go unnoticed: what had happened in that house? What had really happened? He was about to ask him, but Gendry beat him on time, sneaking his head inside the room: -Robb. the police want to talk to the patient.-

Theon snorted, pulling his shirt back and looking at Robb with disdain, while Gendry went out again: -It's all your fault.- he accused him:  
-We’re not done yet.-

In response, all Robb could do was shrug his shoulders: -We surely are not done yet, if now you tell the police some bullshit about how you ended up in here.- He saw the boy's muscles stiffen and his eyes completely lose the sense of brazenness that so much seemed to characterize that boy.

Robb did not give him time to reply: he had left the room, greeting his father again with a quick nod of his head. Then, behind him, he saw him: he had black hair and a pairs of eyes so blue that they could have been seen even in the dark. He was wearing heavy boots on his feet, and he was keeping his eyes fixed on the door where Theon rested.

_He’s the bastard who did this._

Robb wanted to punch him, throw him out of the hospital and watch as the police arrested him. Except that if he had done it., the only one who would have ended up in a police car would have been Robb himself.

-Robb, how is he?- his father's voice managed to distract him from his bad thoughts. He blinked a couple of times, before answering: -He’s fine. Make sure to to clarify this matter.-

Ned Stark, now close to turn fifty but with the same superhuman willing to help people he had when he was twenty, smiled slightly at his son in the way only a father can do: -Will do. -

Robb nodded several times, seriously. After what he had seen, he was happy to be single. And suddenly, he wanted to spend time with his family.

-Tonight I'll stop for dinner. - he announced:  
\- I'll tell Mom. -

Ned nodded, then decided it was time to go and do his job, closely followed by his colleagues.

And at that moment that the black haired boy's eyes met Robb's eyes for the first time, and the redhead almost shuddered: they were evil.

The stranger had contracted his jaw, and Robb realized that this was the first time anyone ever looked at him with so much hatred.

But that boy not only was feeling too much disdain for a doctor he didn't know, that boy was furious.

It was Robb the first one to look away, even if he wanted to linger longer: that was the one who had reduced Theon in those conditions, leaving him unconscious on the bathroom floor of their home.

And Robb couldn't help but wonder what kind of trouble that beautiful boy he had gotten himself into.


	2. TORMUND

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry for making you wait so long but I’ve been focusing a lot on my other story lately and I kind of left this behind.  
> I hope you enjoy this Jonmund chapter, let me know what you think!

Tormund loved his boyfriend more than anything else in the world. That's why he hadn't waited too long to propose him: he knew that the only blessing he needed was Robb's and fortunately he already had it.

It had been stronger than him: his Jon was perfect.

All his friends, including Robb, did nothing but tell him that he was always making too hasty decisions, but he knew he was doing the right thing.

Otherwise Jon wouldn't have agreed to spend his life with him, would he?

They had been together for about two and a half years, but Tormund was certain he was dealing with the man of his life.

Because Jon was simply beautiful: he loved his black curls, his beard so well done compared to his, and his big dark eyes. And he loved Robb for having introduced him to him.

It had been a stressful day at work, between the grumpy one to whom Robb had given the mouth-to-mouth and the homophobic old woman who, when she started asking him questions about his private life, had stuck up her nose at the phrase "I've been living with my boyfriend for about six months."

It was always a fantastic pleasure to go back home hungry and sleepy and to be welcomed by the smell of meat and the voice of his boyfriend humming in the kitchen.

-Love, I'm home!- he exclaimed, taking off his coat and hanging it near the entrance.

Their apartment was small: the first room was the living room and it included three other rooms: a small kitchen, the bedroom at the end of the corridor, and a small bathroom on the left.

Once they would have gotten married they would have immediately started searching for a bigger house: perhaps on two floors, with a room for guests and one for the children they would certainly have had. Maybe they would have found one with a garden, so that Ghost, their huge white dog, could have a place to run and have fun.

But all Tormund's fantasies were interrupted when, while entering the kitchen, he found himself in front of the beautiful firm and naked butt of his fiancée: he was cooking without clothes, covered only by the pink and red apron that Tormund loved to wear.

-Holy shit.- exclaimed the thirty-six year old, with his mouth wide open.

-Welcome back, honey.- Jon greeted him, biting his lower lip and pretending innocence.

Tormund approached him with quick steps, and his hands went straight to grab that nice ass: -To what do I owe this vision, darling? -

Jon chuckled when his partner's bristly beard tickled his neck. -Robb said you had a stressful day today at work. I thought you wanted to distract yourself a bit.-

-Oh, you're distracting me really well.- the redhead whispered in his ear.

-Where do you want to do it? Here on the counter? Or on the table? -

The smile on Jon's mouth was subtle: Tormund knew that that look never promised anything good.

-Maybe we should do it later, what do you say? Otherwise the dinner will cool down.- suggested the youngest, but Tormund had no intention of letting such a vision escape him: -Oh, I think you want to do it now ... -

His finger slipped between Jon's buttocks, teasing his entrance.

-Tor ...- the young man complained, pulling his head back.

-You just can't resist me, huh?- Tormund continued to move his finger, tickling but without entering.

-It’s you who can't resist _me_.- Jon replied, stifling a groan.

-I could never resist you, since you are the love of my life.- Tormund nibbled at his ear.

-So let me make love to the love of my life.-

They had to hurry: Jon didn't have time to turn off the stove that Tormund had already picked him up and carried to ferir room; having sex with Jon was always a rejuvenating experience: whether it was Tormund or Jon himself to own the control of the situation, the boy with the thick dark curls knew how to move gracefully and sensually just like he was a professional dancer.

That evening was no different: Jon had soft hips and the most beautiful butt in the world. Tormund enjoyed every second of their intercourse.

He had known Jon thanks to Robb and Rickon's extraordinary ability to hurt himself; he remembered the way Robb and an attractive stranger were screaming loudly at the kid.

Rickon had broken his right wrist that time, and Jon was holding his hands in his hair from how desperate he was.

-You have to stop this! You can't keep acting like this, you'll get yourself killed!- he was shouting.

Initially Tormund did not understand why the young man was making so much noise: kids always hurt themselves, in one way or another.

But that boy was so worried that Tormund sensed that there must have been something underneath it all.

Only later he did discover that the reason of such yelling and worrying was due to the fact that a few years earlier the kid had been hit by a car (again because of one of his own distractions), and he was alive miraculously.

Just as Tormund frowned, Robb had turned around and seen him: -Oh Tor, can you come here for a second?- he had asked him.

Straightening his back, Tormund had approached that strange trio: Robb and Rickon were equal in all aspects, Tormund had understood that they were related immediately, the first time he had seen them together.

But the other guy, he was he had never seen him before, because he would have never been able to get him out of his mind, otherwise: he was beautiful.

His long curly black hair should have been tied, but because of all the times he had touched them because of the stress, several strands had ended up falling back on his forehead and face.

He had two big, dark and deep eyes that reminded Tormund a small little puppy.

To increase that feeling of tenderness even more, there was also the small stature of the guy, who was even shorter than Robb: to be able to look him in the face Tormund had to seriously bend forward.

But despite this, the guy's tight jeans showed a beautiful pair of legs.

-Do you need help, Robb?- he had asked his colleague, trying to look away from the attractive stranger with little success.

-I have to scold my little brother properly, can you stay with Jon for a while? If he's alone then he'll think too much and will get paranoid.- Robb had replied.

The so-called Jon guy replied immediately, with his arms crossed: -I'm not paranoid.-

Rolling his eyes and not answering, Robb had grabbed Rickon by the healthy wrist and led him to an empty room. He must have been really angry that time, because it was the first time he had heard him scream, even from a room away.

So that's how Tormund had found himself alone in an emergency room corridor with the most beautiful guy he had ever seen. There was only one thing to do: break the ice.

-What did the kid do to make Robb so angry? He is the most patient person in the world!- he exclaimed, and Jon had not hesitated to answer: -He decided to play hockey! And Rickon can't skate! He only did it to impress a group of older kids, and it's a stupid thing!-

And that was how Tormund had tried to calm the guy by offering him hot chocolate from the vending machine. And now, almost three years later, the two shared an apartment and were about to get married.

-We should go check that nothing caught fire, you know?- Jon whispered in the redhead's ear, before getting up from the soft mattress and looking for something to cover himself with.

-Uhm, you could also do it naked as before, what do you say?- Tormund proposed, who had no intention of getting out of bed or getting dressed.

Jon just snorted, with a smile: -I would say that we have gotten it on enough for tonight.-

Tormund rolled his eyes: the truth was that he could have made love to Jon endlessly and let the rest of the world go on without them. But in doing so, however beautiful it might have been, in this way Jon would have never been able to finish his novel: it was from the day of their first meeting that Jon had revealed to Tormund that his dream was to be able to become a writer. He had been working on a book since before their relationship had started, but once they had become a couple, Jon had thrown it all aside, declaring that he had just found inspiration for a story even more compelling than the previous one. It had been a couple of months now that Jon had been going through a bloody writer's block from which he no longer seemed to be able to get out, and no matter how hard Tormund tried, sex had no effect in that area.

-You are not going to stay awake all night to write again, are you?- he asked his boyfriend, frowning.

Jon shrugged: -I can find an idea that I like only by writing, right? -

-I have no idea about that.- Tormund replied.

-But you can surely do it in daylight.-

Jon rolled his eyes, putting on a pair of underwear and tying his hair in a messy bun: -You know, many great writers suffer from insomnia and find the best ideas at night.- he explained.

Maybe he expected Tormund to ask him to name a few of them, and Jon would have had the answer ready, but the red-haired man had no intention of playing along: -Yes but you don't suffer from insomnia, you voluntarily drink six coffees one after the other to stay awake! -

He ran a hand over his freckled face when Jon ignored him, too busy trying to find a shirt and comfortable trousers to put on. Still naked as a worm, Tormund got out of bed and approached the young man: _it's not that I don't want you to write_ , he thought, as he embraced him from behind. _It's just that you're hurting yourself._

-I worry about you, my little crow.- he said softly, kissing him under the ear.

-If you really have to stay up all night, do it by making love with me.-

Jon tried to hold back a laugh and moved away from the older man's body, leaning forward to put on his pants. Tormund could not resist the temptation to slap his butt, thus earning a terrible glare from the younger man: -You know, a relationship is not based only on sex.-

-Oh I know that.- the redhead immediately replied, nodding frantically: -Do you think I would have asked you to marry me if I only wanted to fuck? Why marrying then, what would it change? -

Jon blushed violently, realizing that this was one of the moments when Tormund decided to make him feel sane, revealing how important their relationship was to him: despite telling him to keep quiet all the time and turning away to not give him satisfaction to see the redness on his cheeks, Tormund knew that Jon appreciated those moments: of course, he was a writer, and for this he was better at expressing his feelings by writing rather than talking out loud, but for Tormund it was enough even if he smiled and said he loved him, to understand how much he had appreciated the gesture and that the feelings were mutual.

-Jon, the reason why I want to fuck with you and not someone else is not only because you have an amazing body and super sexy hair, but because you are a wonderful person: you are smart, sensitive, protective, sometimes _too_ protective, and you can cook so damn well. The thing is, I don't know what I'd do without you, Jon. And yes if I could have sex with you all day long without interruptions I would, but if you asked me not to do it I would be able to resist: because that's not the only reason why I love you.-

It was hard to keep him silent when he started talking, and Jon's cheeks were so red that he seemed to have drunk three bottles of wine one after the other.

Tormund smiled when Jon stuck out his lower lip and curled up against his chest: -I love you too, my love. So much. But get some clothes on because it's hard to take you seriously when you have nothing on you except your socks.- and he left him in their bedroom, deciding that it was the time to go and make sure he hadn't burnt anything.

Tormund shook his head: the truth was that he could easily have had dinner naked like he had come into the world, but Jon would have never allowed it. So he put on a pair of boxers and an old shirt and joined his beloved man in the kitchen: Jon had managed to save dinner just in time, declaring that next time, regardless of how late Tormund had come home, it would have been his turn to cook.

-Or we could always order a pizza.- tried to bargain the 36-year-old, sitting at the table. From the living room, the heavy noise of Ghost's paws began to become more and more clear, and the big white dog appeared in the kitchen, promptly sitting next to Tormund and looking at him with those big pleading red eyes: in the couple, the most inclined to "slip" something on the ground so that the dog could eat something different besides the usual stinky cans of food that Jon insisted on buying, was definitely Tormund.

-Just try to give him something from your plate and I swear you're sleeping on the couch tonight.- Jon made clear, refusing any form of compromise.

Tormund's eyes widened before such injustice: -Oh come on! You are insensitive, how can you resist that face? -

Jon rolled his eyes, sitting in front of him: -And that's why we're never going to have kids.-

Tormund risked choking on the air he was breathing: what did it mean they would have never had children? Of course they would have had them! One would have been Jon's biological child, another would have been Tormund's biological child and six or seven others would have been adopted. And then, Jon was phenomenal with his younger siblings: he and Arya, no matter different they might have been, had the best brother-sister relationship that Tormund had ever seen, and even with Bran things were not so different: the boy was only fifteen, and despite being a total genius in anything he did, it could happen that he needed advice, and Robb and Jon were the first people he turned to. Besides, the task of a parent was also to be able to scold their children when they did something wrong, and with all the times that Jon had scolded Rickon every time the boy did something stupid, it could be said that he had all the requirements for being a great dad.

So why did it come out now that he didn't want to have kids?

-What do you mean we will never have children?! I mean, of course we can't have our own kids, but we can always look for a surrogate mother and adopt a few!- he protested, but Jon shook his head: - It's not that I don't want them, but... I'm only twenty-six, I'd like to wait a while before I become a parent. Let's think about our wedding and all the changes it will bring first.-

Tormund was about to tell him that there were ten years of difference between them, and that once Jon would have been ready enough he would have been too old, but the young man's last sentence took him by surprise: -What kind of changes do you mean exactly? -

Jon shrugged: -I don't know, maybe once we get married we will start fighting constantly. Oh, and then my mother's neighbor immediately after congratulating me for the engagement, she informed me about how much sex after wedding is regenerating, but she also told me that the more time passes the more the desire to have it disappears: perhaps because of seeing your partner too often...-

Tormund blinked a few times: -Well, she told you a lot of bullshit.- he commented, but his head had already started to think: he had to admit that with own job, that forced him to often stay away from home for most of the day, and Jon's incomplete book, there were days when, although living in the same apartment, they couldn't see each other at all: sometimes Tormund would get home wrecked, skip dinner and fall asleep on the sofa, while Jon was sitting on the table with the computer and a carafe of coffee next to him trying to jot down something decent, then at dawn he gave up, went to sit next to Tormund, closed his eyes and a few hours later the older one got up, placed a kiss on his forehead and went back to work.

As a result, this led to days of unbridled sex and weekends of shopping and fancy restaurants, when they could manage to find some free time: Tormund also had to admit that one of the reasons he felt even more attracted to Jon was right this wedding thing, having to organize everything, the thought of spending life with him and the desire to tear off his tux.

But once the wait was over, would there still have been the same passion as before? Would Tormund have been able to be a good husband if he kept on coming home late, and being too tired to cook? Once the book was finished, would Jon have endured that he had nothing to do but wait for Tormund to come home late in the evening?

And would their sex life be affected by that? What if Jon, while Tormund was at work, decided to take someone else home, sinché the two of them couldn't make love anymore?

-I'm making fun of you, you fool.- Jon chuckled, smiling at him and opening the bottle of red wine that was never absent from their table.

But despite his boyfriend's serene and reassuring smile and Ghost's gentle face, Tormund felt as if someone had just beaten him up.

-That piece of shit stuck his head in the bathtub, made him pass out and then left him there!- Robb snapped for the umpteenth time, throwing a pair of latex gloves into the basket with particular violence.

He still hadn't managed to get the image of patient from the day before out of his mind, the one who had pissed them all off during the hospital ride, the idiot who didn't want to call the police after what had happened to him.

Tormund shrugged: -Maybe he didn't really beat him: he would have had other signs of violence, otherwise. And you told me he didn't have a single scratch on his body, right? -

Robb snorted loudly: -They called us due to domestic violence and my father told me that the guy's asshole of a boyfriend has not been arrested!-

-Did he at least tell you why?- Tormund asked him, going towards the vending machine: he had got up late from the bed because he had spent all night looking at the ceiling wondering if, in the future, Jon could really cheat on him, once married. He urgently needed caffeine.

-My mother didn't want him to talk about it in front of Rickon.- Robb said, running a hand over his face.

Too exhausted and plagued by terrifying doubts, Tormund nodded without understanding a thing of the words of his colleague and future brother-in-law (Jon and Robb were basically brothers) and radically changed the subject: -Hey, do you think there is a risk that Jon may cheat on me once we're married? -

The question made Robb spill a large part of the tea he had gotten all over his uniform: -Why are you even asking me? Did something happen between you two?-

Tormund stroked his thick red beard, perplexed: -No? I don't know. He said the neighbor told him that sex ends with marriage.-

Robb let out an amused snort: -Nah, that only happens once kids come into play.-

If this was supposed to make him feel better, it wasn't working: Tormund had imagined a good life, with Jon, Ghost, many children and lots of sex. Couldn't it be like that? Why not? And why did that have to lead to no more sex? Sure, Tormund firmly believed that sex wasn't the strongest point of his relationship with Jon, but he challenged anyone to stay without it for too long.

-Don't you think it's suspicious that the neighbor said that they had fought more than usual?- continued Robb, hitting the vending machine. Normally, Tormund would have gladly listened to what he had to say; that day, however, he was too busy getting devoured by his paranoia to pay too much attention to him.

-I don't know Sherlock, at the end of the shift go to your father and ask him for some more information.- he suggested absently, welcoming Gendry who was approaching them, taking advantage to ask him: -Gendry, in your opinion marriage is equal to less sex?-

The boy widened his eyes, his skin went from tanned to pale to red in less than a second: -Why are you asking me? -

-Simple curiosity.-

The boy, just turned twenty-one, shrugged: -I don't know. I believe that sex in a couple is fantastic, maybe marriage involves more responsibilities and consequently less time... of course, sex is the basis of any relationship, but ...-

- _Sex is the basis of any relationship?!_ \- repeated Robb, furious to say the least, looking at Gendry as if he wanted to strangle him: at that point it followed a nice "conversation" between the two of them, in which Gendry remained silent and wide-eyed listening to Robb yelling at him about how sex should not be the basis of any relationship, especially if the relationship in question included his younger sister.

Several patients and nurses turned in directions to the screams, some chuckling, some whispering in someone else's ear. Tormund could only lean his head against the vending machine and look at his now empty paper cup: was this what his and Jon's life would have been like once they were married? As empty as that cup? Or would it have been like Robb and Gendry, full of fights and bickering?

He arrived home earlier that day, and found Jon sitting at the table in the kitchen, with the laptop in front of his face, his hands in his hair and his eyes fixed on the blank page of the screen.

-Hi love.- Tormund greeted him gently.

Jon turned slowly: his eyes were shiny, he seemed one step away from crying.

-Hi Tor.- he moaned, sniffling.

-Hey hey, what's going on?- the older man rushed to caress his back and pressed a kiss on his forehead, reassuring him.

-I can't write anything.- said the young man, not even managing to look back at the computer.

-This is because you're stressing yourself too much: come and watch TV with me on the couch, come on. So you can rest a little. I'll even make you a hot chocolate, what do you say?- Tormund suggested, for a moment forgetting all the fears that had plagued him.

Jon's eyes brightened at that suggestion, despite his sad look: -God, yes please.- he begged him.

Once they were both on the sofa, curled up in a soft warm blanket, Tormund was about to forget all the insecurities of that morning and the previous evening: he was fine with Jon, and for the moment he only had to enjoy the present with him.

Not surprisingly, he accepted almost with relief the kiss his boyfriend gave him on the lips suddenly, almost as if to thank him for having taken him off that damned computer.

It didn't take long for the kiss to intensify and for Jon to sit on Tormund's lap. The red-haired man allowed him to do that without complaining, because he needed to feel him close to him. However, when Jon's hand slid too low Tormund blushed violently from the way his body didn't react: until yesterday, such a thing would never have happened.

Jon interrupted the kiss, confused, and looked at his boyfriend: -Fuck, I'm sorry ...- Tormund apologized, sincerely.

Jon tried to smile and walked away from the older man: -No no, I understand it, you're ... you're tired, I understand. It's nothing.- and in order to make Tormund believe him, he leaned forward to kiss him quickly on the lips.

-I think it's time for me to go and make dinner.- said the twenty-six-year-old, getting up from the sofa and leaving the room without adding anything else.

Tormund did understand his shock, somehow: he never imagined that there would have been a time when Jon, his little crow, wouldn't have been able to get him hard.

He pulled his head back, sighing loudly: he had messed up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next one is Gendry’s POV.


	3. GENDRY

Gendry had been with both girls younger and older than him. The previous year, for example, he had even managed to get laid with a woman who was about thirty-five years old.He had made some conquests, he had had relationships. But none had ever been like the one with Arya Stark: leaving aside her psychopathic older brother and him being a colleague of his who would have willingly torn him to pieces just because he considered his beloved baby sister too pure (bullshit), it was not Arya who had fallen at his feet, but Gendry himself who had completely lost his mind for her.

Don't get him wrong, he was actually quite shy and awkward with girls when it came to doing things seriously.Maybe that was why his previous histories had always ended badly.But this time not only did he feel shy and clumsy, but downright incapacitated: Arya was one of a kind.

Not only because she had shown him on several occasions (we leave out what kind) that she was able to throw a knife in ten different ways and always hit the same spot, but above all because she was frighteningly independent and ready to seize the moment: Gendry wouldn’t have been surprised if overnight the girl showed up at his door with a backpack full of clothes on her shoulder, asking him to leave for an unknown destination. If Gendry had not accepted, little would have mattered to the girl: if she wanted it, she would have left anyway.And he loved this.

He did not adore Robb Stark at all, however: he was the older brother of Arya, a twenty six year old with an eighty year old brain who behaved with his (countless) siblings in the same way a single mom would have behaved with her baby: he was overprotective.

He did not care that Arya was eighteen and had all the credentials for dating a twenty-one year old boy, and the fact that the girl was small and petite certainly did not help: she had the manners of a warrior and a ballerina body.The fact was that for Robb, Arya would have always been his younger sister, and he could not bear to see her together with his work colleague: at least three times a day Robb would take Gendry aside and talk to him about his sister;very often what he said was mostly death threats and warnings about what would have happened if something happened to Arya, but sometimes, when he felt particularly less grouchy, he just told him to bring her home before midnight andbe careful where he put his hands when he was around.

Robb was around that day, but Arya hadn't cared at all and had done what she did best: sneak here and there as silent as a snake or, as she preferred to say, like a cat.

Gendry had found her in front of him the moment his break had started, and had let himself be dragged into a closet without complaining, even if a tiny part of his brain feared what could have happened if Robb or someone else had them caught.

Arya was in Gendry's arms, with her back against the wall of the closet, and they had been in there for so long that the boy was beginning to believe that his break was long over.However, the reason he broke the kiss with the girl was not that, but something else: having sex at work in the middle of the shift would not have been a nice item to be included in his curriculum.And then he didn't understand why Arya had decided to show up at that time in the hospital, in the middle of the morning.

-What are you doing?- asked the girl, confused, frowning and disappointed.Maybe even irritated, which was never positive with Arya.

Gendry took a deep breath: _where do I start?Why are you here and not at school?Sorry, but the idea that someone could catch us, the idea that your brother Robb could catch us, terrifies me.And yes, I know that I am a jerk, because in the end we are not even together yet, but I worry about you._

-I should go back to work now.-

Why did he say that?What the hell did that mean?Arya knew very well that he had to go back to work, wasn't it because of that, if she showed up there?Didn't she want to see if Gendry was willing to screw up a few minutes to be with her?

Gendry knew that things were not easy for Arya in her family: she had told him how it was to be continually compared to her older sister, Sansa, the classic type of perfect girl who never did anything wrong."So perfect that she gets stupid," said Arya, adding "and looks fake."

Her mother wanted her to be the exact copy of her sister, with excellent grades at school, clothes always in order and a boyfriend that came from a good family, while instead Arya had "only one A in P.E., a thousand sweatshirts that looked all the same and all stained with something and fucked with a guy who cleaned up vomit in the hospital corridors as a living", thank you very much, by the way.

The point was: Arya did not feel comfortable in her own family, in her school, she did not feel comfortable at all.And if she ran to him to distract herself, instead of talking to her friends, maybe it was because Gendry meant much more to her than he thought.

-Wow, you really are an asshole.- she said harshly, pushing him away and resting a hand on the handle of the closet.She didn't open it, however: she wanted to see if Gendry would have held her back, and then Arya had always been the kind of person who said things to you, without the need for you to try to read her mind.

-Hey.- Gendry called her, hugging her from behind.

-Since when you try to make these theatrical scene so typical of your sister?- he asked her, feeling her smile and relax in his arms.

-Maybe it’s a good thing that I am beginning to act like her: it seems that everyone wants that and nothing more.- replied the girl.

-And since when do you care what others think?- continued the 21-year-old.

Arya remained silent: it was not an easy thing to do, to keep her silent. Gendry sighed: -See you after work?So you can tell me why you didn't go to school.-

She shrugged: -Okay, but we won't just talk, you know that, right?-

Gendry chuckled: he should have expected it.He kissed Arya chastely, not so surprised about the way the girl returned the kiss, albeit reluctantly: he had noticed that when it came to sex, Arya was the most confident person he had ever met.Instead, when it came to small gestures, such as a caress or a simple kiss on the lips, she got colder, as if something was blocking her.As if she wasn't used to it.

-Of course I know.So, see you later?- the boy continued, smiling even more when the girl rubbed her lips and nodded.

It was she who went out first, and Gendry knew he would have had to wait at least a few minutes to avoid arousing suspicion, but an eighteen-year-old girl who came out of a hospital closet in the middle of the morning would have aroused suspicions anyway.

It was a colossal mistake.To tell the truth, meeting his girlfriend in the same place where his psychopathic older brother worked was a colossal mistake.Gendry opened the door the moment Robb Stark asked Arya what the hell she was doing there and why she wasn't at school.

He was worried, obviously his first thought was that his beloved little sister had got hurt or was feeling sick, but once he looked up and his eyes (they were so blue that he could barely believe they were brothers) met Gendry’s.

As soon as the young doctor turned pale Arya took the opportunity to giggle, wink at her boyfriend, and sneak away.

- _You!_ \- Robb shouted, approaching him.

Gendry paled too: he was sure that the whiteness of fear was even more visible on his dark skin, which made him an easy prey.

Robb grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pushed him against the wall, but let him go immediately afterwards: he was too irritated even to punch him.

-How dare you lock yourself in a... God, Waters!She‘s my sister!- the young man shouted.

At that point Gendry blushed: he understood that he shouldn't have taken advantage of his break to spend time in a closet with his girlfriend, but Arya was eighteen.Gendry knew that the problem was not what he had done at that precise moment but only the fact that he was dating his sister.Which was absurd, considering that Gendry didn't think he was a bad person himself, and Arya was old enough to decide on her own.

-Don’t you think you're exaggerating a...- he started, but he couldn't go further.

-She’s a kidGendry, a _kid_.- Exclaimed the red-haired boy.

_A kid my ass_ the 21-year-old thought, _I bet you have no idea what she does to me._

-I have no bad intentions with her.- He began to say, because he had no intention of arguing with Robb: he was a little intimidating, and a little he would have liked to be his friend.He did not want to further ruin their delicate relationship.

-And Arya is mature enough to choose who to be with.-

Robb remained silent, seething with anger: Arya was not well because everyone called her a child, while for Gendry it was not like that at all.Maybe that was why she had chosen him and not another nicer guy.

-I swear that if I catch you with my sister during your shift I will tell Mrs. Tyrell.- Robb threatened him, then he connected the dotes: -Can you even tell me why Arya was not at school?! -

Gendry rolled his eyes: -What do I know?She’s a locked book with me as well!-

Actually, Gendry already had his own hypotheses: Arya could no longer cope with school, home and everything else, and she needed to stay a bit without thinking.Gendry had asked her to meet with him that afternoon because he knew that even if the girl would never explicitly talk about her problems, they would still find a way to distract her: with sex, for example.

Robb crossed his arms over his chest and sighed, exhausted: -Make sure you make her feel better, then: I can't, nobody can. Maybe _you_ can.- he said, then left him in the middle of the corridor like a perfect idiot.

For the first time ever, Robb Stark hadn't addressed him in a tone of voice that overflowed with hate: he was simply worried about his sister, which was far more important than his dislike towards Gendry.

The dark-haired young man shrugged: perhaps if he started to see that Arya was okay with him, Robb would have ended up accepting him.But if he thought that after that morning's sentence things would improve, he was wrong: Robb kept on teasing him all morning, and Gendry was relieved to say the least when big boss Olenna Tyrell called them to report an emergency.

It was domestic violence, or so it seemed, the fact remains that Robb and Gendry stopped looking at each other as if they wanted the other to die for a moment: the younger man had let stress take over (he was not enjoying his new job that much), and Robb had become another person, once they realized what had happened to the victim: they had not found the boy immediately.Gendry assumed he was passed out somewhere, but he certainly could never have imagined that he was in the bathroom, with a tub full of water.Robb must have just given him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and the boy was coughing and trying to catch his breath.

His almost-girlfriend's brother had told him to run to get the stretcher, and he had obeyed, more than grateful to be able to get away from that scene: maybe he was not made for that job.He liked the idea of helping people, but he wasn't so capable of it.Mainly because he had just discovered he was easily emotional.

And then, if he had to be honest, he didn't like that patient: he was rude, overbearing and unbearable.Yet Robb had become so kind to him: when Gendry had turned around, wondering why the boy's poisonous tongue had stopped talking, he had seen him holding his hand. Rather ironic, if seen as a whole: that guy had done nothing but offend everyone all the time and Robb was holding his hand and comforting him.Gendry was not doing anything wrong, he was simply dating Arya, yet he was one step away from finding himself in close contact with Robb's fist.

Then he put two and two together: Robb was gay, and lonely like a spinster. And that boy, besides having a "boyfriend" from whom he should have been as far away as possible, was also pretty.

Uhm.

He stopped thinking about Robb and how much he risked being killed by him as soon as Arya knocked on his door only to jump on him as soon as Gendry let her in: the boy wanted to talk to her, because she seriously needed to talk to someone.However, Gendry needed to be distracted for a moment;and maybe they could find time to talk later.

Gendry and Arya had had sex not even a week after they met: Gendry had been attracted to the girl right away, even if he was just a pastime for her.Then they started seeing each other more often, and now there they were.

They ended up looking into each other's eyes, both of them out of breath: Arya had her usual satisfied smile on her face, and Gendry felt almost guilty about ruining the moment.

-Do you feel like taking to me?- he whispered, hoping that the girl wouldn't hit him straight on his nose or that she wouldn't pull a knife out of nowhere to threaten him.

Instead, much to his surprise, Arya's smirk widened: -Do you have enough breath to do it?-

Gendry snorted: -Don't be a bitch.-

-I like to tease you.- Arya, barely covered by the sheets, brought her face close to Gendry's.But the boy found himself sighing again, as much as he wanted to start a second round: -Why didn't you go to school today? -

It was a question he felt obliged to ask: Arya was certainly not a stupid girl.Even if she didn't have straight As. And she was badass enough not to be influenced by the opinions of others.

-What do you care?- she asked, immediately going on defensive and moving away from him.

Gendry rolled his eyes: Arya always tried to avoid uncomfortable conversations by getting angry and ending up arguing with the person who was trying to make her feel okay.

-Come on, Arya: Robb was more worried about this than seeing you come out of the closet with me.- the boy said, reaching out to hold her close.

Arya squirmed, snorted and turned to the other side, but she didn't move too far: -I didn't feel like going.- she answered, resting her head on the pillow.

Gendry kissed her on the neck: -Why?-

She turned and looked him straight in the eyes: hers were beautiful. Gray, similar to her father’s: Gendry had only seen the man a couple of times, one of which was just that morning, and the similarity of the color of his eyes and those of his daughter had been one of the first things he had noticed.

-I'll only tell you if you promise not to laugh.- Arya said, incredibly serious.

Gendry gently ran a hand trough her dark hair, smiling reassuringly: -I could never laugh at you.- 

He was sincere: whatever troubled her, it had to be serious.Because there was nothing, nothing, that Arya Stark was unable to deal with.

-People look at me badly, at school.As if I were a monster to avoid.- confessed the girl.There was more, of course, but she decided to omit it.And Gendry tried to help her say more, asking her: -Is it because you‘re different form the others?-

She sighed, and put a hand on her forehead, stopping to look at him: -For that and because l... because I'm on the male soccer team, I'm quite good at math and I don't wear clothes that hold me tremendously on my tits.- she snapped all of a sudden.

Gendry bit the inside of his cheek: it was understandable. Feeling a little out of place.And just because she didn't care about others' opinions it didn't necessarily mean she couldn't feel uncomfortable.She certainly never wanted to change, this Gendry knew.Maybe she just needed someone a little more like her.And some encouragement.

-Even if they would look great on you.- the boy underlined, chuckling.

-Gendry!- Arya hit him on the chest, trying to hide a smile: it wasn't like her to blush like that, Gendry could only do it a few times, and when it happened he wanted to enjoy the moment well.

-Okay okay, I’ll admit it: actually you are more beautiful when naked.- he continued, returning to hold her tight.

Arya looked at the ceiling, while Gendry breathed her perfume, and the smile was evident in her voice, when she whispered, stroking his dark hair: -You’re an asshole.-

Gendry smiled in turn, then stood up: -Come on, go on: you know you can talk about it with me.-

One way or another, they would have had that conversation.

Arya shrugged: -I hate school: I hate that place, the people who are there, teachers, my classmates, anyone.-

-Well, try to think positive: it's your last year.What do you want to do, drop everything and get a job? - obviously Gendry was ironic.And he had no intention of putting weird ideas on her mind.But judging from the girl's guilty face, Gendry deduced that "weird ideas" were already in her head.

-Arya.- he pleaded, while she justified herself: -It would be easier: I would do something I like and I would even get paid .-

-You won't find anything you like if you don't finish school first.-

-Oh sure: you did it and look where you are.-

-Hey, look, I was fine in college.-

-You don’t say.-

Gendry snorted: his college years (that had just ended) had been the best of his life, including parties, interesting classes and others to skip, friends from which he was able to scrounge a joint and, above all, a decent dormitory.

-I’m serious: I was studying what I liked, I had my own apartment and the weekends were always great.- he explained.

-While now you are cleaning vomit, you live in a small apartment that is falling apart and on the weekend you are so tired that you fall asleep at nine.- she added, indicating the surrounding place.

Sure, his new home was shabby, but it was only a temporary establishment.And then it was not true that he fell asleep at nine!Not always, at least ...

-Exactly.- he gave up, chuckling.But Arya continued to be dead serious: -I want to find a job in which I will travel a lot: I never want to stay still.-

-Wouldn't you get tired without ever going back home?-

She looked him in the eyes again: she was small and lethal, this Gendry had already learned.And yet, when she spoke, she suddenly seemed older and wiser: -No place is like home: which is why I need to leave.-

- _Sex is the basis of any relationship?!-_

What had he done wrong, apart from existing?He had only answered a question that Tormund had asked him!And here, of course, Robb jumped on him like a vulture!

-You know I didn't mean that...- he began, after letting Robb speak for a good few minutes, intimidated by how much those blue eyes seemed about to catch fire.

-What did you mean then?! - screamed the red-haired boy, and for a moment Gendry had the feeling that smoke was about to come out of his nostrils.

He got annoyed: -Oh, you want to tell me that you would be willing to be with someone without ever fucking?!- he snapped, crossing his arms and gaining confidence, while Tormund, behind them, seemed too focused on thinking about anything else, rather than dividing them.

- _You_ are lucky that Arya is eighteen, because if she had been a minor at this hour you would have both legs broken!- said Robb, even stronger than before.

Gendry was exasperated: -She’s smart enough to...- decide for herself, he wanted to say it as he said every time, but as it happened terribly often, Robb Stark interrupted him to address yet another death threat: -If I come to know that you did something to her, that you _made her do_ something she didn't want, I swear I'll kill you.-

Gendry rolled his eyes: -Believe me: she does everything of her own free will.- And he certainly would never have forced her to do anything.Because she would almost certainly have pulled a knife out of her boots and cut his dick.

However, the answer had been too reckless: Robb's eyes literally caught fire this time, and for the first time ever he moved to punch him.Thank God Tormund returned with his feet on the ground and grabbed the boy by the hips, lifting him up and away from Gendry.God bless Tormund’s gigantism.

-Hey, hey, calm down tiger: now I understand who Rickon got his antics from...- muttered the red-haired giant, the shadow of a smile barely hidden by his thick beard.

-All this anger you have, you should pour it on the asshole who beat up yesterday’s guy.- Gendry advised Robb: he liked annoying him, he had noticed.But it was best to do this by focusing on a topic other than his beloved little baby sister.

Robb paled considerably, and straightened his back: -I'm not a violent type.-

-Oh, you’re not? So what are your constant threats against me? -

-You are a separate case, Waters.-

Tormund let out a chuckle that sounded more like a grunt.Gendry just snorted: -Oh, come on: why don't you stop thinking about your sister's love life and focus on yours? Look, I saw that you liked the patient from yesterday morning.-

At that moment, Robb turned purple red: -What?! -

-You held his hand throughout the ambulance trip!-

-I was helping him! -

-And so?- Gendry spread his arms: either that dude was stupid, or he was really good at pretending to be.

-You’re gay, he’s gay and has a boyfriend who he should stay away from, if I were you I would still help him and I would get him out of that situation.-

Robb opened his mouth wide: -I am not going to intrude in his life.We don't even know if it was really his boyfriend who did that to him.-

-But if you have done nothing but repeat the opposite!- Tormund intruded at that point, pushing the redhead: it had to be a light push, but Robb had to hold on to his colleague's arm in order not to stumble: -Would you stop it?!I'm good with being single, and Arya should be too!- he exclaimed. Then, evidently because he no longer knew what else to say and wanted to get out of that embarrassing situation, he left.

Only Gendry and Tormund remained in the corridor, clearly surrounded by waiting patients and nurses pacing up and down.

-Try not to pay too much attention to him: he is very protective when it comes to his family.- said the red giant, taking another coffee from the machine.

Gendry crossed his arms over his chest: he felt like a stubborn teen angry at his parents who had allowed his older sibling to do something he couldn't do.

-Aren’t you getting married to his cousin? -

-Yup.-

-So why doesn't he hate you? -

Tormund sighed: -Well, let's say we already knew each other before I knew Jon: you have just arrived.-

It was not a convincing explanation, but it was quite likely, knowing Robb: Gendry could only imagine how he would have behaved once even his younger brother, the one who hurt himself as a hobby, would have found a girlfriend.Robb would probably have been more worried for the poor girl than the boy.Deep inside, Gendry hoped that it would happen soon and that he finally realized that Arya hadn't found herself a crazy boyfriend as her brother.

-Will he ever stop hating me?- he asked the man in front of him.

Tormund nodded softly: -Yes, if he sees that Arya is happy with you.And when he knows you better, of course.You must be patient, newbie.-

-I hope so ...- he certainly wouldn't have stopped seeing Arya just because Robb didn't want to: he even knew the girl's parents, even though he always introduced himself as a "friend" of Arya and never as her real boyfriendreally, and they got along.Even his mom didn't hate him.

-Why did you ask me that question?- he asked, wanting to change the subject.

Suddenly Tormund's always happy and bright face went out: -Someone told Jon that marriage ruins sex.-

Gendry tried to hold back an amused snort: -And you believe it? -

-No, of course not.-

Gendry turned around as soon as he heard the noise of the front door of the emergency room open: there he was, with ruffled blond curls, crutches, a bandaged ankle and a pretty worrying cut on his head. Alone.

Gendry patted Tormund on his shoulder, deciding it was time to disappear before it was too late: -Uhm. I’ll leave you alone with your doubts, Robb's little brother has just entered and I have no intention of hearing him scream.-

Tormund also looked in the direction of the door: -Oh fuck ...- he muttered, putting a hand to his mouth.

Gendry continued down the corridor at a brisk pace, but in any case ended up hearing Robb Stark's hysterical, desperate, worried and pissed off scream: -What the fuck did you do?!-

Arriving at the Stark home that afternoon, Gendry went straight to Arya's room: she was grounded, of course, because "that dickhead of Robb told my mom I didn't go to school," and Gendry wanted keep her company.

He entered her room just as Arya threw her Swiss army knife against the small target shooting she had hung on the wall.Gendry had immediately noticed that the center of the target shooting was the only point punctuated by holes, to testify in defense of the girl's infallible aim.

-Normal people use darts.- He said, causing her to smile.

-But I’m different from the others.- She replied.

Gendry sat on the bed, admiring the small knife stuck exactly in the center of the target -How do you manage to hit it every time?-

Arya shrugged, spreading her legs along Gendry's lap: -Training.How did you get in? -

-I rang the bell and ...-

-Gendry.-

The young man looked straight ahead: -I promised your mom I'd convince you to clean your room. So, clean your room.-

-Wow, you're good at convincing people.- the girl teased him, getting up to catch the knife and go back to her initial position.

-Yeah, in fact.By the way: stop being stupid and finish school.- the boy continued, more serious than ever.

-Ugh, but why do you care so much?- she snorted, this time visibly annoyed.

-Because if you drop out of school and find a job, you will waste your best younger years.-

-What makes you think so?-

-Arya, you have a lot of possibilities: don't take the worst of all.-

She had a bright future ahead of her, because she was a resourceful girl: she did not have to throw up roadblocks by herself.

-Oh, so you expect me to go to college and keep the family name high?- snapped the girl, scornfully.

Gendry raised his palms: -Absolutely not!But Arya, you could be anyone: don't think you're good just to be a cashier at McDonald's.- he tried to make her think.

-I don't think so!- she answered immediately.

-I just think... I could still achieve important results, even if I will never be a doctor, or a lawyer.-

Of course she could have.But only if she finished school.

-And do you think you can do it, without going to college? -

-Of course I can! You and Robb went there and look at each other, you are just two paramedics.-

Gendry gave her a dirty look, to which she replied with an impertinent smirk that made butterflies in Gendry's stomach barely move their wings.

-Okay, apart from college, your mother is very proud of Robb, isn't she?- he tried again.

Arya nodded: -He’s his favorite after Sansa.-

Deciding to have too little time to tell her that her mother wasn't doing favoritism and that it was all in her head, Gendry added: -Even if he's just a paramedic?-

-Gen...-

-You know that your mom won't care about your future profession, do you?You don't have to drop out of school just because you want to spite her.-

Arya looked down: it was a scene that was incredibly out of tune with her strong, stubborn and self-confident nature.But everyone had their weaknesses.

-It's not that, it's just... I don't like it.- the girl confessed.

Gendry shrugged: -Well, college is different from high school, you should think about it.-

Arya rolled her eyes, exasperated: -Would you stop talking like my father? You should be my boyfriend.-

Gendry smiled at those words: -Oh yeah?And since when?- he asked, moving on the bed to hug her from behind and hide his face on her neck.

He heard her smile slightly: -From now, you jerk .-

Gendry then tickled her: he took so many of those kicks and slaps from the girl (who was more violent when she laughed than when she was angry) that the next time he would have gone to the emergency room he would have been the patient and not the paramedic, but he tried not to mind it.

-Promise me that you will think about it for a long time, before making any decision.- He whispered softly, resting his forehead against hers.

-Um, okay.- she replied.It was enough for Gendry: he certainly couldn't have known that Arya had said it just to keep him quiet.


	4. THEON

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> due to this update and period cramps, “Losing My Religion”’s next update is going to be a little late.

They had fought for the umpteenth time: Theon had told him that he would go out with his work colleagues for an aperitif, to celebrate the success of the last art gallery they had set up. Ramsay was angry, like all the times: "you want to go have fun, get drunk and cheat on me" he accused him. It was an old accusation, which Theon was tired of hearing: he loved Ramsay. They had been together for three years and he could have never imagined his life without him: it was Ramsay, on the other hand, who had taken him off the street. His father had kicked him out of the house when he finally found the courage to tell him that he liked males, so he had nothing left to do but trust the stranger who had given him a hot dog and a place to spend the night, at least for that evening, because "a handsome boy like him had to sleep in a nice bed".

Falling in love hadn't been so difficult: Ramsay was always and continuously by his side, and it was all Theon needed after a life spent being everyone's discard.

He had found a job so that he could pay for his stay in the apartment of the beautiful man with petrol-colored hair and blue eyes, but it had become more a cohabitatio than a permanence: he and Ramsay were now together. They loved each other. Even when Ramsay told him that his job wasn't worth a shit, they loved each other. Even when Ramsay was losing his patience, which was happening more and more lately, lately; but how can you blame him? Theon wasn't such a good person after all.

He had once asked him to stay away from the boy who worked at the bar near the corner of the street, because he kept staring at his ass all the time, which made Ramsay go crazy. But he had gone anyway, because he didn't want to walk to the next bar. Ramsay had obviously found out, Ramsay always came to know everything. He was so angry that after Theon apologized to him, he fucked him so hard that the boy had been struggling to walk for at least a week.

Ramsay and Theon always fucked, after ending an argument: it was usually Ramsay who took control of the situation, the one who got it on the most, because it was always Theon who was wrong, and it was Ramsay to forgive him.

If they fought, they fought because Ramsay was jealous: of the boy in the bar, of the girl downstairs, of the old man who worked at the supermarket. He said everyone was looking at him because Theon always wore jeans that were too tight and attracted too much attention and he shouldn't have done that.

"Only I can afford to look at this nice ass," he used to said, slipping a hand inside his pants and squeezing his buttock tightly. Most of the time, Theon chuckled and consented: he was right, he was his boyfriend, and only he should have looked at his ass. Or done anything else with and to it.

But there were also other times when, while agreeing to the fact that only Ramsay could put his hands where he wanted, Theon told him not to be always so jealous, that not everyone wanted to get laid with him. Theon did not see how such a thing could be possible: Ramsay had been the first guy who really liked Theon, the first in twenty-three years, let alone if any boy they saw on the street now thought so.

Once, however, Ramsay had slapped him. He hadn't done it on purpose, he acted on impulse because Theon had screamed too much and didn't want to listen to him. Theon remembered that day well: they were arguing, _again_ , because a colleague of Theon's had greeted him with a hug.

Ramsay had accused him of cheating on him, and immediately after hearing those words Theon had started to rant: he loved Ramsay with all of himself, and he _hated_ that he could think that he would end up cheating on him. Then Ramsay hit him: he later told him that he only did it because Theon was going to have a nervous breakdown, a panic attack, and he had found no better way to calm him. Then they went home and made love; Theon was too tired to do it, actually, but Ramsay had worried about him and said he needed to get distracted and feel close to him. And so they did it.

Ramsay was angry that day as well: after having argued for hours, Theon said he had no intention of giving up on the evening with his colleagues. Then he had left, saying he needed to take a bath to get all the stress off him. Ramsay had joined him shortly after, when the tub was now full of water but Theon had not yet taken off his clothes: Theon had let him hug him from behind and kiss him on his shoulder, but he refused to look him in the face, to see how he would react.

-Come on love, you know I worry.-

Theon shook his head: -I could never cheat on you, you should know it.-

Ramsay had stroked his side slowly: -Of course I know: I worry that something will happen to you.-

-Nothing will happen to me, Rams.- Theon repeated.

-This is just your thought: that guy, that Renly, wants to fuck you.- Ramsay continued to caress him: his purpose was obvious, he wanted to seduce him, make him understand that life with him, in bed, naked, was better than life out there, that it was okay only when they were alone together, with no other human beings around who would have liked and could have got their hands on Theon, in the absence of Ramsay, the only one capable and willing to protect him.

-Renly already has a boyfriend.- Theon said: Renly and Loras had been together for a lifetime, and soon Renly would ask the other boy to marry him. But this Ramsay already knew, and it still wasn't enough.

-But don't you see how he looks at you? He wants to get into your pants!-

Theon shook his head and rolled his eyes, exasperated as every time his boyfriend came out with absurdities like that: -You saw him yes and no twice!-

-And you already see him enough at work.- said the dark-haired man.

Theon turned, thus breaking their contact: -Rams! Do you really want me to give up my social life for your paranoia?- he exclaimed. He tried, he always tried to make him think, to make him understand that nothing would happen because Theon would never have allowed it, he tried every time, but he never succeeded.

-I'm not paranoid!-

-Rams...-

-Don't you think about me? I will be worried all night, while you will be having fun, getting drunk and fucki...-

Theon shook his head and walked away from him, making his hands slam against his thighs: -Do you even hear yourself?! I can not believe it! I love you Ramsay! Why can't you understand it?!-

He wanted Ramsay to let him live his life for once. Because this was what lovers did, they trusted each other. Theon loved Ramsay, but sometimes he felt ... oppressed, that's it. He only wanted Ramsay to treat him as he treated him: with love, trust, commitment. Theon had sex with him even when he was tired or didn't feel like it, because he loved him. And Ramsay got angry every time if Theon wanted to go out.

Theon looked at his boyfriend, pleading him with his eyes, but he didn't change his mind at all: -You won't get out of here tonight.-

His blue eyes had suddenly become so cold that a shiver ran down the entire spine of Theon. But the boy didn't give up: -Don't be an idiot, I don't...-

It was a moment: Ramsay's hand that grabbed him by the hair and the kick behind his legs that forced him to kneel on the ground.

-I said, you won't get out of here tonight!- Ramsay yelled, dragging Theon to the bathtub.

-Ramsay, Ramsay you're hurting me! Rams!- the boy shouted, terrified: Ramsay had never done such a thing. Only when they had sex did he allow himself to pull his hair and yes, sometimes it hurt, but Ramsay liked to do it, and Theon just wanted Ramsay to be fine. He owed him.

-Ramsay please!- he screamed, pleaded, cried. But Ramsay continued to push his head underwater. Theon resisted, but Ramsay was stronger than him. And Theon was out of breath; if Ramsay had let him go, even for a second, he could have apologized. He would implore him to forgive him and then he would give himself completely to him, and stay at home with him.

But Ramsay had no intention of letting him go: the hold on Theon's hair did not fade, and it hurt him tremendously. The water entered his nostrils and he could no longer hold his breath.

Eventually, Ramsay ended up letting him go, but Theon didn't even realize it: he was too weak.

One head hit the floor between the bathroom tiles. He struggled to keep his eyes open and his mind clear. He was tired, tremendously tired. He opened his mouth to apologize, but failed. All he could see was Ramsay's feet leaving the room, and he could barely hear his voice reiterating, in a satisfied whisper: -You won't go out tonight.-

Theon hated doctors. And police officers. And people who asked questions in general. He was fine, holy shit: he was alive, wasn't he? So what were they worried about?

There was that doctor, the one with the red hair and blue eyes, but not the one with the long beard and shoulders as big as a closet, no, the younger one, the one with freckles on the tip of his nose, here, that asshole had done nothing but hold his hand all the time; Theon had returned the grip just because his hands were shaking and he needed to calm down, but he certainly would have calmed more if he had been with Ramsay. There was no need for that doctor to tell him not to worry and that everything was going to be okay, because it wasn't like that: Theon just wanted to go home, and he knew what was best for his health.

And where was Ramsay now? Why was this boy with these big blue eyes so worried about shaking his hand instead of his boyfriend? They hadn't let him get into the ambulance. Why?

Theon had seen police cars under the apartment. What the fuck, he told those fucking paramedics not to call anyone. Now they would have thought that Ramsay had wanted to hurt him, but they were wrong, it had been an accident, it was the first time such a thing had happened, Ramsay had only lost control because Theon had behaved like a piece of shit. He shouldn't have screamed and opposed, he should have just listened to him better: Ramsay cared about him, he just wanted the best for him. If he said he had to stay home he certainly had his good reasons and then Theon could not leave him alone at home, knowing that surely he would stay awake until his return, very worried. He couldn't do this to the love of his life, because yes, Ramsay was the love of his life, and he could not allow anything to happen to him: he would lie, rather than let the police suspect him. Because Rams hadn't done it on purpose, he could have never done it on purpose. It happens, it is normal to fight when you're a dating. And every now and then there is something physical that runs away. It's normal.

And he didn't want to go to the hospital: he just wanted to be at home, with his boyfriend. Who knows how worried he had been when he saw that Theon was no longer waking up, he couldn't even imagine where he had found the strength to call an ambulance. Theon just wanted to be with Ramsay. For this reason he had rebelled almost all the time, answering the doctors to fuck off and ranting here and there and forbidding Oberyn to visit him in the hospital: only at home he would have been okay.

Although, he had to admit, shaking that boy's hand had calmed him a little. Ramsay had never held it with such kindness and concern, yet according to what he said, he was in constant worry for him.

But Theon didn't want to be fooled: that boy was a doctor, it was his job to calm patients, and evidently he realized that holding someone's hand could do Theon good. And then to Theon that boy got on his nerves: how many times did he have to repeat that he was fine and that he didn't give a damn if he wanted to check? He would never have taken off his shirt in front of him: if Ramsay had found out he would have thought that he too wanted to fuck him, because Theon was fine and there was no need for him to take off his shirt. Theon was fine, and it would have been even better once he got out of there.

But that boy was unbearable: if he hadn't called the police, Theon would have gone home now. Instead, he had to answer their questions.

"We're not done yet" he said to him, Ron or whatever his name was. And what did he say? "We surely are not done yet, if now you tell the police some bullshit about how you ended up in here." What an asshole.

The policemen entered the hospital room, one with his face half-scarred, while the other was doing his best to appear reassuring.

The good cop and the bad cop: _I bet the good one is somehow related to the paramedic, they have something similar._

The agent with the burnt and scarred face sat on the chair reserved for visitors with legs spread, making a loud thud: -Okay Mr. Greyjoy, the time for questions has arrived. Was it your partner who did this to you?- he asked, direct.

-No.- Theon replied, just as quickly.

The other agent took a step forward, holding his hat in his hands: -Theon, your neighbors told us they heard you arguing. In fact, they told us that you are constantly fighting.- he said.

And so what?

-It wasn't him.- The boy repeated.

The sitting agent looked at him with an eyebrow raised: -Well, a ghost did it then?-

-It wasn't him.- Theon continued: he didn't like that situation. He just wanted to go home.

-He said this too all the time when we interrogated him in the corridor, but I don't know if we should trust him.-

Theon looked at the burnt-faced man with wide eyes: -What ?! Is he here?- he asked.

The two agents were surprised to hear the relief in his voice: -Yes, but now we would like to talk to you in private.- said the one standing.

Theon shook his head: -I will tell you everything if you let him in! I swear it wasn't him! He's here because he's worried about me!- he exclaimed, holding out his hands towards the door.

-Kid, look...- began the sitting agent.

-Please, I'll tell you everything.- Theon implored them at that point: in the end, as he had learned well, by imploring you get everything. People feel important when they have someone ready to kiss their ass. Not surprisingly, the younger policeman, the good one, the one who tried to be reassuring, the probable relative of the red-haired doctor, sighed and pointed to the door to his colleague: -Let him in, Sandor.-

"Sandor" grunted, but got up, muttered something and opened the door: -Hey, Bolton!- he exclaimed, then waving to enter.

When Theon saw Ramsay set foot inside the room, he almost burst into tears of joy: -Rams!- he exclaimed.

Ramsay was glad to see him too: he hugged him tightly, Theon's head was spinning, but it didn't matter, it didn't matter. Not as long as he was with him.

-My love... it's all right, I'm here.- Ramsay reassured him, kissing him on the lips several times with wet kisses.

Sandor snorted: -How delicate of you, Bolton.-

-My love... my love...- Ramsay continued, avoiding paying attention to the two agents and concentrating only on his boyfriend, who wanted to ask him to pick him up and take him home, where they could be together forever.

-Theon...- coughed the younger cop.

-Now that we let him in, spit it out.- added the other.

The younger policeman, who Theon found out his name was Ned after he had looked badly at Sandor for his brusque manner and he replied with a "come on, Ned", asked him: -What happened to you?-

_Think quickly. They definitely want you to tell them it was Rams. But you can't do it, you can't betray him like that, not after everything he's done for you. He saved you, and you love him. You have to lie for him._

-I-I ... I tried to kill myself.- He declared, squeezing his boyfriend's hand tightly, who returned the hold.

- _What?! Pffft.-_ Sandor waved that answer away with a wave of his hand, and he almost started laughing.

-Sandor.- Ned went on, who on the contrary was very serious.

The older and taller man looked at him with wide and exasperated eyes: -Don't tell me you believe him!-

Ned raised a hand: -Let him talk first.-

When all eyes were focused on Theon again, the young man had to work hard to appear convincing while lying: so he said a real thing.

-I don't get along with my family. Ramsay is constantly by my side, but ... when I'm alone it is not difficult to act without thinking.-

Theon had seriously thought about killing himself sometimes. He felt as a burden for Ramsay, who always took care of him, while Theon always made him angry and worried. Ramsay would have been better off without him. The problem was that Theon was an egoist, and always had been: the only reason he hadn't pulled the trigger yet, or jumped out of the window, or kept his head in the water, was because when he with Ramsay, he was fine. And he wished it continued to be so.

-And you put your head in the bathtub?- said Sandor, skeptical and ironic.

Theon snorted: he didn't like that agent. He was not someone who let himself be duped and did not accept that someone would tell him bullshit, and to be honest Theon would have admired him, if it hadn't been he who had told the bullshit.

-Sylvia Plath has already done it in the oven.- He shrugged. Ramsay pinched his neck slightly, sending him a loud and clear signal: don't provoke the police.

-Theon, are you going to therapy?- this time it was Ned who spoke.

-No.- Theon replied.

-Have you ever considered the option? -

-No.-

Why should he have gone to therapy? To remind himself that he had a problem, that he was out of his mind? It wouldn't have solved anything, on the contrary: it would have accentuated his desire to commit suicide.

Ramsay kissed him on the head: -I would say it's time to go home.- he suggested.

Theon looked at the good cop, Ned, the probable relative of the blue-eyed doctor, pleading. He sighed, uncertain, but finally nodded: -Okay then.-

While sighing in relief and getting Ramsay to help him get out of bed, Theon saw that Ned had started writing something on a piece of paper which he then tore from his notebook. He handed the slip to Theon: it had a phone number and the name of the agent, Ned Stark, written on it.

-Hey, if anything, feel free to call me, okay? Anytime.- he said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Ramsay's grip around Theon's hips tightened considerably, in a clear display of jealousy. Theon was afraid for a second, but tried not to notice it, nor to show it. He handed the leaflet to the owner: -Thank you, but I already have all the support I need.-

He smiled cordially at Ramsay, and his boyfriend stopped holding him so tightly.

But Ned Stark dared not take back the piece of paper: -An extra hand never hurts. You keep it in your pocket.-

At that point Theon nodded, but only to get Sandor and Ned Stark out of the door and let them pass. Once out of that room, Theon threw the piece of paper in the first basket that happened to him.

The first thing Theon and Ramsay did as soon as they got home was lying on the bed. Theon was exhausted, and all he needed was to sleep tightly against his boyfriend's chest. But Ramsay wanted to do more, of course: he grabbed Theon's arm and guided his hand into his pants. Theon tried to retract it and turn away: -Rams... I don't feel like it.-

But Ramsay tightened his hand around Theon's wrist a little more: -You made me worry so much... don't you think you owe me?-

Theon looked him in the eye: it was as if Ramsay was talking to a disobedient child or a puppy who still hadn't figured out what his place was. But somehow, Theon was really a puppy who hadn't understood what his place was: of course, he belonged to Ramsay, but he had to learn to do what he told him to do. Because otherwise he would have ended up losing him too.

So he wasted no time: he crawled under the covers and started sucking his cock.

Ramsay said that his mouth was born to suck it, but evidently something was wrong that night: maybe it was tiredness, maybe stress, maybe just the fact that despite everything Theon really did not want to have sex, because Ramsay was never kind with sex, and after everything that had happened that day the last thing Theon wanted was to wake up in the morning and barely manage to walk. The fact is that Ramsay didn't like that night's blowjob at all.

-Put some energy in it, for fuck's sake.- he ordered him, grabbing him by the hair again and pushing his head forward, making him lose his breath for the second time that day.

And there was nothing left for Theon to do but obey.

-Order whatever you want, I'll go to the toilet for a moment.- Ramsay kissed him on the cheek and got up from the table.

-Of course.- Theon replied with a smile.

Clearly, he had woken up aching and more tired than before. This Ramsay had noticed, and had decided to offer him breakfast to be forgiven for not being kind while making love, so he took him to a bar a few minutes from their apartment, a nice place run by elderly ladies who all smiled.

To tell the truth, Theon would have far preferred that Ramsay had brought him breakfast in bed, because he had no intention of getting up, but that was fine too.

Once he was left alone, Theon ordered a blueberry muffin for him and a French toast for Ramsay, his favorite. The little woman who took her order was called Dorothy and had a pair of red shoes on her feet. Theon doubted that she had done it on purpose, but she was an adorable lady. She told him that she would be back immediately after taking the order at the table in front of his.

Theon stayed watching her as she approached the other table: yes, she was really adorable. So adorable that he almost didn't notice that the doctor from the day before, Robb, was sitting right at that table, together with a teenager and a little boy with a huge patch on his forehead and crutches by his side.

Theon felt a lump in his throat: now that he looked at him well, he had to admit that he was a good looking guy. Even the boy next to him, clearly his younger brother, would have grown up being handsome, because he was the same as his older brother.

He couldn't quite see the other boy though, because he turned his back on him, but he thought that he too was a member of the family: the older brother, the middle brother and the younger brother who went to have breakfast together. A nice scene to see that Theon unfortunately had never been able to experience because his two older brothers were pieces of shit.

Robb hadn't noticed him, but had ordered pancakes, like the rest of his family. As soon as the waitress was gone after stroking the younger boy's reddish hair, the younger boy started talking to his older brother about the teenage brother: -Bran is just too stupid to accept that Jojen Reed has a crush on him!-

The teenager straightened his back: -He doesn't have a crush on me!-

-Then it's you who got it bad for him.- The boy continued, crossing his arms over his chest.

-Rickon!- exclaimed Bran at that point.

The boy, Rickon, raised his hands to his ears and looked at his older brother, pouting: -Robb, Bran's screams hurt my head!-

Robb raised an eyebrow, gently adjusting one side of the patch that seemed to threaten to come off the boy's forehead: -Do you really expect me to believe it-

-Ah! Robb is on my side!- gloated Bran.

Theon watched the young doctor as he rolled his eyes and continued to adjust Rickon's patch: -I'm not on anyone's side, I'm just saying what's true. Which leads me to tell you, dear little brother, that the Reed's son is a good boy: if I were you I would give it a shot.-

At that point the teenager punched the table: -Robb! Not you too, come on!-

Rickon then opened his eyes and arms wide, hitting Robb on the chest and making him chuckle: -But he's the perfect guy for you! He's a nerd, he uses difficult words that I don't understand, he reads a lot, he knows many things, he always wears stupid and ugly sweaters and he's all over you!-

Even Theon wanted to laugh. Bran instead covered his forehead with one hand: -Robb, say something, please.- he implored his older brother.

Robb grinned: -Rickon, you forgot to add that he is also cute and pretty as hell.-

-Robb!- the teenager slammed his hand against the table again.

Robb leaned forward: -Bran, look at me. Would you give Jojen Reed a chance?- he asked.

-But what kind of ...-

-You blushed, it means you like him.- declared the young doctor, shaking his head and not wanting to hear further protests.

Rickon pointed a finger at Bran and shouted, before his brother could reply: -You must get married now!-

Theon then seriously risked to laugh: he was eavesdropping on a conversation, but it was too funny.

-What?!- exclaimed Bran, as confused as Robb who was still a step away from crying with fun.

Rickon began to explain: -Jon always blushes when someone talks about Tormund or when he talks about Tormund or when Tormund talks. And they will get married, so it's up to you and Jojen too.-

Children. How easy could things seem to them? Of course, they grew with the belief that a kiss was enough to find the love of your life. Stupid fairy tales for children. Stupid Disney movies.

Robb tied an arm around his little brother's shoulders and gave him a kiss just above his wound: -Stay young forever, honey.-

Bran grunted: -If he keeps on being an idiot, he will surely die young.- he muttered.

Robb's eyes widened: -Come on, Bran!- he scolded him, while Dorothy returned with their orders. It was when the woman handed it to Theon that Robb noticed him. He blushed slightly, and even Theon felt his cheeks barely warming up, especially when Robb gave him a slight smile that he did not return.

-Hey, did you know that Tommen's cat ate a spider the other day?- Said Rickon, but Robb didn't pay much attention to him because he was too busy watching Theon.

There was concern in his eyes, but this had nothing to do with the concern that Ramsay also showed him, no, this was... different. Maybe because he was a stranger.

Ramsay came back a moment later, and sat down next to Theon instead of in front: -Miss me?- he asked, kissing him on the cheek.

-So bad.- Theon replied immediately, strangely finding himself wishing and hoping that he had seen nothing, that he had not noticed the look that he and Robb had exchanged: it was something that Theon wanted to keep for himself.

-Um, you ordered my favorite, I see.- Ramsay said satisfied, stroking the inside of his thigh covered with jeans.

-Only the best for you.- Theon replied, removing his boyfriend's hand from his leg. Ramsay did not get angry, because they were in public and he just wanted to tease him a bit, he didn't really want to give him a handjob, and it was no coincidence that he winked and said to him: -Um, how lucky I am.-

And at that point Theon had to focus exclusively on him, because he already feared his reaction, if he noticed Robb. However, at one point Theon could not resist and turned slowly, at the moment when Ramsay called the waitress to bring them something to drink: Robb continued to look at him, this time frowning. But the concern hadn't left his eyes anyway, and it even seemed to have intensified.

Once outside the bar, Theon lit a cigarette. It was thanks to that gesture that Ramsay remembered that he was short of it and told his boyfriend not to move from there while he entered the tobacconist's across the street. Theon obviously did as he was told.

Robb and his brothers left shortly after, heading in the opposite direction. Theon was grateful for it; he didn't want Robb to stop and talk to him. He didn't want to because he knew he wanted it, deep inside. And he didn't want it to be like this. It was not fair to Ramsay, he would have been angry if he had seen him. So it was good that that young doctor with red hair, blue eyes and freckles didn't want to talk to him.

But then he stopped. He stopped and reversed: -Boys, I have to do one thing: wait for me here.- he said to the two boys, who obeyed him.

Theon looked straight ahead, hoping he hadn't noticed he was staring at them.

-Hey.- Robb said to him, smiling gently. He had dimples.

-Are you doing a little better?-

Theon tried not to look him in the eye: -I'm doing as I'm supposed to be doing.- he replied, keeping an eye on the tobacconist.

Robb nodded: -You know, it's normal to be a little shocked after something like that. I wanted to make sure everything was going well.-

Theon shook his head: -It's all right.- He hoped that his rudeness could drive him away, but the asshole didn't give up.

Robb put his hands in his pockets, he was wearing a leather jacket that fit him perfectly.

-Listen, if there is any problem, my father is Agent Ned Stark, you should have already spoken to us, and he is always available.-

-Thanks for the information.- Theon replied, almost laughing: he said that those two had something in common. Father and son, both kind, both willing to help him. Pathetic.

-I'm free as well.- Robb continued, but he blushed soon after.

-I mean, if you want to talk. You know where to find me, I won't move from the hospital. Or I could give you my number if... if it doesn't seem too...-

Theon saw Ramsay coming out of the shop: -I'm okay, thank you.- he replied immediately, trying to send Robb away: Ramsay was too distracted lighting a cigarette, throwing the foil of the package on the ground and answer a message to see what his boyfriend was doing, but Robb had to leave right away, otherwise Theon wouldn't have been the only one Ramsay would get mad at. And there were also his little brothers a little further away, they could not attend such a scene.

-Robb, are you done hitting on him?- exclaimed Rickon, the youngest, and there Ramsay raised his head: Theon swore he could almost see smoke coming out of his nostrils, and it wasn't because of the cigarette.

Robb, who hadn't noticed anything, blushed even more: -Sorry, he didn't really mean... I don't want to er... my little brother is an impertinent, sorry.-

Ramsay arrived, and squeezed his arm tightly around Theon: -Hey love, I'm back.-

In response, Theon held him just as tightly: he wanted to make him believe he was scared of that boy, not wanting him close, so maybe Ramsay would have avoided messing up if he saw that Theon needed him and wanted him close.

Ramsay looked at Robb: -And you are?-

The boy held out his hand: -Robb Stark, I took care of Theon yesterday in the hospital.-

-Ramsay then smiled (it was a fake smile, but this Robb could not know) and took his hand in between his: -Thank you, for helping my boyfriend. People like you are real heroes.- he marked the words "my boyfriend" well.

-Oh, uhm... thank you, I guess.- Robb answered. There was something strange in his voice: arrogance, perhaps, or just disdain.

Ramsay nodded: -Now we should go; It was a pleasure, Robb Stark.

Robb nodded too: -Sure. Goodbye.-

Ramsay dragged Theon away, who heard Rickon chuckle in the distance and exclaim: -Ah! You have lost your magic touch, Robb!-

No, he really hadn't lost it at all.

Theon sighed and hugged himself against Ramsay's side so as not to make him suspect anything: -Thank god you came, that dude makes me feel uncomfortable.- he lied.

In response, Ramsay grinned and slapped him hard on his ass: -I'll make sure you feel comfortable then, pet.- he reassured him, and the hand on the back pocket of his jeans squeezed him until it hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and please, stay safe❤️


	5. JON

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry for this overly long wait. Hope you like this, though!

There was something wrong.

In him, in Tormund, in their relationship, in their life together.But above all in Tormund, yes, above all in Tormund.

One of the characteristics of the red-haired man, if one did not consider the height or the long beard, was that of madly loving sex with Jon.Or, more simply, loving Jon in general.Tormund showed Jon all his love constantly and in a thousand ways, big and small: it happened that every now and then he got lost in sappy speeches, or that he picked him up to carry him to bed, or that from nowhere he booked a dinner in some fancy restaurant even with their anniversary months away, and at other times he limited himself to making Jon understand that he loved him with small gestures, such as a caress on his lower back, the care in ironing all his shirts and the concern for all the times that Jon stayed up late trying to write something, always and perpetually in vain.

Now, things had changed.

And suddenly, from one day to the next: one evening, Jon had put a hand inside Tormund's pants and nothing had happened.Nothing.When in reality, _everything_ always happened.

Jon had tried not to make a big deal out of it, he knew that his fiancée’s job was tiring and that it could happen that he was too sleepy for sex, however that was not like Tormund.

It had gone on for more than a week: after realizing that Tormund would not approach him and would not touch him in any way for unknown reasons, Jon had decided to get busy. More and more often he tried to be provocative, he slipped his hands here and there, he tried to make himself desirable.But Tormund always ended up finding some excuse for not having sex.

And Jon was hurt about that: it was as if Tormund was losing interest in him.As if Jon was no longer "the love of his life".

The last time he had tried to make love to his boyfriend had been the night before: with the excuse of taking a shower, he had put on the light burgundy robe that Sansa had got him and that Tormund found extraordinarily sexy.He had left it open, so that his body could still be seen, and he hadn’t dried his hair, letting it drip down his forehead and shoulders.He was sure that Tormund, who was currently resting in their bedroom, would have gone mad. That it was just a bad time and there was nothing to worry about.But he was wrong.

-Hey Tor ...- he said in the sexiest voice he could do, entering their bedroom.

Tormund didn't even hear him: his snoring was much louder than Jon's voice.To his displeasure, the boy noticed that his future husband was turned towards the window, turning his back on him.Tormund never turned his back on him.Sighing, Jon went back to the bathroom, dried his hair and put on his pajamas.

This was what he was thinking about when his cousin Arya brought his mind backamong humans: -Jon, can I borrow this knife? -

Jon looked away from the blank page of his laptop to turn to the girl, who was holding the sharpest knife Jon had in his house.The 26-year-old frowned: -What are you going to do with that?-

Arya shrugged: -Threatening Joffrey.-

Sure, Joffrey.Her sister's boyfriend, a perfect idiot who perhaps even deserved to be threatened by Arya with a knife.But Jon couldn't say this, not out loud.

-Put it down, young lady.-

Arya grunted, swung the knife with a gesture that made Jon lose at least ten years of life, and placed it back on the kitchen counter: -Don't treat me like a child too: Robb is already enough.-

Jon got up from his chair and joined her: -I don't treat you like a child, I just want to stop you from doing illegal things.- he said.

-How's it going with Gendry? -

Again, Arya shrugged: -It's going.- She replied calmly.

-Good or bad?-

-Good as hell, to tell the truth.I always thought that Sansa would be the one to find the perfect boyfriend, yet ...-

Jon smiled: yes, he thought so too.Because Sansa was the most inclined to fall in love.And in fact she was now in love, yes, but with the wrong person, who would never ever come close to the definition of "perfect boyfriend" that Jon and Arya had in mind.And maybe not even Sansa's.

-Well, for Sansa Gendry can never be a perfect boyfriend.- Jon said.Which was true only to a certain extent: Sansa liked well-groomed boys who had a good taste in dressing, and Gendry did not possess any of these qualities.But Sansa also liked nice guys (and this also did not characterize Gendry too much), but above all, they had to know how to treat a girl.And Gendry did that very well with Arya.Not in the way Sansa would have wanted, perhaps, because he never took her out for dinner and never gave her gifts, but this was a rare behavior for Joffrey too.And at least, Gendry respected Arya, didn't underestimate her and really liked her.And in this, Joffrey could never have beaten him.

-But instead that asshole of Joffrey seems to be so...- muttered the girl, rolling her eyes and going towards the sofa.Meanwhile, right outside the front door, Ghost and Nymeria (Arya's dog) were playing: Jon had never realized how small his apartment was, before seeing those two huge dogs in the same room. Weird, because he should have noticed that even when Tormund was sitting on the sofa with Ghost lying at his feet.He guessed that when he faced such a scene, the size of his, their, apartment was the least important thing.

-Sooner or later she’ll notice who she is dealing with, trust me.- Jon said absently, opening the refrigerator: he needed a drink.

-Beer?- he asked her cousin.

Arya nodded immediately: -God, yes.Anyway, Robb should threaten Joffrey too, then: he is the dangerous boyfriend, not Gendry.-

Jon suppressed a chuckle and sat down next to her, offering her the bottle already uncorked: -Oh, but Robb does: it's just that Gendry is constantly under his eyes.-

It was a period where Robb was only talking about one thing: his little sisters' boyfriends.He hated them both, although Joffrey was certainly at the top of the list, but he could not accept the fact that Gendry was three years older than Arya, that he had a job and that she still went to high school.And then, it also had to be mentioned that Robb saw Gendry every day alone, without Arya. When he saw Joffrey instead, he was always in the company of his sister.

-I can't stand him when it does that.- Arya snorted, before taking a long sip of beer.

Jon shrugged: -It's Robb, you know how he is.-

Arya shook her head: -If he had someone to fuck with, he wouldn't be so unbearable anymore: look at you, for example.Since you‘re with Tormund you seem to have achieved inner peace.By the way, where is he now? -

Jon felt his stomach tangle when his future husband was named: -He's at work with your brother, as always.- he replied, but was it the truth?Was he really at work?And if he was at work now, would he go straight home afterwards or go somewhere else, with somebody else?

-Our brother.- Arya corrected him.She obviously hadn't sensed the tension in his voice, not when Jon had called Robb only Arya's brother: she hated him when he did so.They had grown up together, she said, and kinship or not, for all the Starks Jon was their brother and that was it. Jon also felt that way, but the reality of the facts was different: legally, he was only their cousin.

-Your brother and my cousin.- he said therefore.

-You grew up as if you were our brother Jon: stop calling yourself our "cousin", you‘re much more than just that.- Arya said, exactly as Jon had expected.They could have talked about it for hours and hours, and perhaps Jon would have preferred that than talking about Tormund, but when Nymeria jumped on the sofa to put his big muzzle on Arya's lap, that conversation also ended up in the trash.

-Hey, no dogs on the sofa.- Jon said immediately: Ghost was rarely allowed to get on the sofa, and the same rule applied for his cousin's dog.

-Oh, come on!Look how cute she is!- Arya protested with a smile, scratching Nymeria behind her ears, affectionately.

-Arya ...- Jon called her back.

She snorted, but listened to him: -All right: Nymeria, down.- to the words of the owner, Nymeria obeyed instantly.

-How are things going with Tormund, big brother? -

Jon avoided looking into her eyes as he replied: -Fine, I think.- He actually believed exactly the opposite.

-Why do you just think so?- she asked, immediately curious.

Jon shook his head slightly, trying to find the right words to explain his suspicions: -Well ... he's been acting weird lately.-

-Like? -

Jon looked at the toe of his slippers: -You know what Tormund is like, don't you? -

Arya smirked, leaning her back against the sofa: -I know he would fuck you in every corner and at any time, yes.-

And then she got there on her own, because that was exactly how Tormund was like: crazy over Jon, as he kept telling him, he would have fucked him every second.And if Jon said there was something wrong it was obvious that, speaking of Tor, sex was the first thing you thought about.

Arya opened her mouth in disbelief: -Oh my god: you two aren’t having sex anymore?! -

Jon blushed: that was his little cousin, his little sister, he shouldn't have told her certain things.Robb would have killed him if he had.But, however small in stature, Arya was no longer a child.And Jon needed to talk to someone.

-All of a sudden he stopped... yeah, teasing me. And if I try to touch him he tells me he doesn't feel like it or ... well, nothing ... nothing happens, I don't know if you get what I...-

-His dick doesn’t get hard, yeah.- no, Arya had definitely stopped being a child.

Jon nodded, biting the inside of his cheek: -Yeah. Or he immediately falls asleep: even when he came home late and found me writing he always tried to take me off the computer to make love.Now he doesn't.I believe that...-

-Oh, don't say that! - Jon closed his eyes, preparing for an impending hit somewhere on his body.

-I think he's cheating on me.-

Arya hit him straight on the shoulder, hard: -Jon!Tormund could never cheat on you!-

Suppressing a groan of pain, Jon returned to look the girl in the eyes: -So why stop?Why behave like this? -

Arya rolled her eyes: -You're just too paranoid: you could just ask him. -That was the last thing he should have done instead.

-Of course, can you imagine it?"Hey Tor, why don't you want to put it up there anymore?" -

Arya started laughing so hard that she even managed to scare the dogs: - Please, if you’re really going to tell him this, record it and then let me hear it! -

Jon sighed: -Arya ...- he wanted to tell her that this was serious and that he was really afraid that Tormund was cheating on him in some way, but the sound of his phone prevented him.

He replied: -Yes, Aunt Cat? -

-Is Arya there with you? - his aunt seemed tired, nervous and worried at the same time.Jon got worried too: something serious had happened to someone?Maybe Rickon had seriously hurt himself this time and ...

-Well, yes: is something wrong? - he asked.

Catelyn began to scream so loud that even Arya heard her, and ended up blushing: -That wretch! She’s supposed to be grounded!-

Jon looked at the girl with the sternest face he could do, while saying to his aunt: -I swear I had no idea ...-

Cat took a deep breath, and tried as best she could to calm down: -I know Jon, I know.I'm not mad at you: can you take her home, please? -

Arya began to shake her head, but Jon didn't want to hear any of that: -Of course.-

-Thanks Jon.- and with those last words, Catelyn Stark hung up.

Jon looked back at his sister: between her and Rickon, he didn't really know who was driving him more crazy.He loved both with all his heart, but damn if they were two reckless little shits. Of course, unlike Rickon, Arya was able to look after herself, but she was really asking for certain punishments: couldn't she just call him on the phone?No, she had to sneak out of the house, get caught and end up in even more trouble.But in a way Jon admired her: unlike Rickon, who acted convinced that he could always get away with it (which never happened), Arya knew very well that sooner or later they would find her, but she didn't care, she preferred to risk, she had always been the bravest in the family.

-Arya ...- Jon began: it was his duty to tell her not to do certain things.Or at least, tell her to find a way not to get caught.

-It’s a torture to be at home with them! - the girl exclaimed immediately.

-The bathroom is always occupied because Sansa has to wear masks or put on makeup for hours and hours and I always risk peeing my pants, and mom always wants me to help her clean! -

Sansa and Arya had two different characters.They were sisters and they loved each other, there was no doubt about this, but they often quarreled.Indeed, always.And since Sansa had taken much of her habits from Catelyn, Arya had such a relationship with her mother as well.

-And Bran and Rickon?What about Uncle Ned? - Jon asked: Arya looked a lot like her father, and Jon thought that if Ned and Catelyn, despite their contrasting characters, were in love and had five beautiful children, it was also possible that Arya and Sansa could get along.

-Dad is almost always at work, Rickon is always in the hospital and lately Bran does nothing but go to the library with his boyfriend! - Arya replied.

Jon frowned: -Bran has a boyfriend?! -

Bran had just turned fifteen, and he was a boy who, Jon was convinced, would end up working for NASA one day.But he was also a little shy, it took him some time to completely open up to people he didn't know.Moreover, he had never mentioned that he was attracted to boys.And now he even had a boyfriend?

Arya nodded: -Yes, or at least: he will have one soon.Jojen Reed, they met recently but they already love each other, even if they are too stupid to notice it.- she explained.

Bran with a boy.Bran, little Bran.Bran who had never shown the slightest physical interest in anyone.Wow: that kid was growing up, and Jon was getting older.

-Okay, remind me I need to have a little talk with Bran, then.- he decided therefore: he was sure that Bran already had clear ideas on the subject, but he wanted to talk to him and tell him, exactly as he and Robb had said to Sansa and Arya, that if anything ever happened, if their boyfriends ever made them suffer, their big brothers would have handled it.Although he doubted strongly that Bran might have fallen in love with someone like Joffrey Baratheon.

-Oh god, please don't tell him the same speech you told me: it's embarrassing to talk about sex with you, you blush more than a little girl in front of prince charming at Disneyland! - Arya exclaimed, giggling.

Jon shook his head, but did not deny it: it was true.So he got up from the sofa and gestured for her to follow him: -Okay, let's go: I'll take you home .-

Arya immediately understood that there was no point in fighting, so she called Nymeria back and followed him.

Tormund came home late, and dinner had already cooled down: Jon had decided to wait for him, so he had fed Ghost and tried to write down a few more pages.As usual, he failed: he couldn’t write when he was calm, let alone now that he was stressed out.

It was when he heard the door open that, exactly in the same way Ghost raised his ears and went to greet his owner, Jon closed his laptop and got up from the sofa.

Tormund took off his jacket and threw it on the sofa, smiling at his partner: -Hi love.-

Jon stroked his cheek and stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the lips: -Hey: welcome home.-

Well, at least, Tormund wasn't looking for an excuse not to kiss him.

-What a nice smell...- the red-haired man walked towards the bedroom, near the kitchen, to take off his green uniform and put on a comfortable pair of clothes: he had left the bedroom door open, a sign thathe wasn't ashamed to be seen by Jon as he undressed, and the younger boy took it as a good sign, because maybe he was really just imagining everything.

-All thanks to the chef.- Jon replied, absently biting his lower lip: so much time had passed since the last time they made love, and now there he was, his beautiful future husband, in his underwear in front of him.

-I don't doubt it.- Tormund smiled at him, and Jon came over to stroke his biceps.

-How did it go at work today? - he kissed him on the shoulder.

Tormund ruffled his hair, put on a white T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants and went to the kitchen: -Good. Robb is still a little shaken about what happened to that guy...-

-The one who passed out in the bathroom? - Jon sat down in front of him, trying to prolong the conversation as much as possible: he had missed his boyfriend, he didn't want to spend dinner in silence and then go to his room and see him fall asleep immediately.

Tormund nodded: -Yes, him.He is convinced that it was his boyfriend who hurt him, but apparently it does not seem to be so.You instead?Were you able to write something?- if the dinner was delicious or too cold, this Tormund didn't say it: maybe he was too tired to notice it, or he didn't want to hurt him.According to Jon, such a cold dinner was inedible, yet Tormund did not seem to think so, since he looked more at the plate than his eyes.

-Something.- Jon answered.

-I think I'll make my character fall in love: it's nice when there‘s a little love, isn’t it? - it wasn't true, he wouldn't have made his character fall in love: he no longer even knew how he intended to continue his story, let alone if he could have been able to add even a love component. That was just a strategy: he wanted to see what Tor thought about it, if he caught the reference to them not having sex anymore.

Maybe Tormund had noticed and preferred to ignore the topic, or he hadn’t. This Jon did not know, because all that his boyfriend answered was a simple: -Cool.-

The rest of the dinner was spent in silence.It was already late, but Tormund offered to wash the dishes while Jon went to see what was on TV: he and Tor often watched TV before going to sleep.It could have ended in two ways: either they forgot about the movie and had sex on the sofa, or Jon fell asleep on Tormund and he picked him up and carried him to bed.

When he returned to the kitchen and saw his boyfriend's huge back, Jon did not resist: he embraced him from behind, eager for affection.Tormund was ten centimeters taller than him, maybe more, but Jon always liked being small when they hugged each other: it made him feel protected.Now it made him feel like he wasn't enough.

-There’s the lord of the rings on TV: shall I make popcorn? - he whispered, pressing his cheek against the red haired man's back.

Tormund nodded: -Sure, why not? - he turned to him, and Jon decided that this was the right time to stand on tiptoe and kiss him on the lips.Tormund initially returned the kiss, but with awkwardness.And Tormund never acted awkward when he was kissing him. In addition, his hands never stood still: even when the kisses they exchanged were lazy and sleepy, a hand always ended up resting where it should not (or should) have been. That day, Tormund was not touching him at all.

-Why aren’t you hugging me? - Jon asked, breaking the kiss and tightening his grip around Tormund's torso.

The man blushed slightly: -I have gloves soaked and full of soap.- he justified himself.

Well, Jon thought, we also got to the point where he has to come up with an excuse for not hugging me.

-I don't care.- He retorted, and started kissing him again.To his displeasure, however, Tormund did not take off his gloves, nor did he embrace him while keeping them on. Indeed, it was he who stepped aside, this time: -Maybe it's better if we stop: I wouldn't want to miss the beginning of the movie.-

And now the excuse had come for not kissing him as well.

Jon surrendered that evening: -Sure. Whatever.-

He crouched against his side, on the sofa, and wondered how his boyfriend could be so concentrated in the film: didn't he understand that there was something wrong?And why, if there was something wrong, didn't he just tell him about it?

Tormund ended up falling asleep.Jon would have liked to be big and strong like him to be able to pick him up and take him to bed.But he just kissed his forehead and wrapped him in a warm blanket.He thought, however, that for how he was behaving, he didn't deserve it.

Disconsolate, he motioned for Ghost to follow him to the bedroom.The dog followed him silently, and when Jon let him get on the bed he licked his face: since he lived with Tormund, Jon let him get on the bed only a few rare times.But for that evening he would have made an exception.

The side of Tormund's bed smelled of him, and Jon buried his head on the pillow, really wishing he had misunderstood everything.

Ghost came up to him and patted him on the cheek with his wet nose.

Jon stroked his head: -D’you think he still loves me? -

In response, Ghost barked slightly.

Jon took it as a yes: -I hope so too.-

He was awakened by Tormund, but not with the usual kiss on the lips: this time, his boyfriend was shaking his shoulder.

Jon opened his dark eyes to find himself in front of his boyfriend's blue ones.

-Hey ...- Tormund kissed his forehead.

-Um? - Jon muttered, locking his arms around his neck.

Tor smiled at him: -I made breakfast: I have to go to work soon.-

Jon stretched: -Um yes, I’m up.-

He got out of bed only to notice that Tormund was already dressed to go to work: he hoped that they could be together at least for breakfast, but apparently Tormund had other plans.Who knows, maybe he had woken him up late just not to eat with him.

-You look like you slept very badly, yet I was the one on the couch.- The elder of the two joked, giving Jon a slight push.Under normal circumstances, Jon thought, he would have slapped his ass.

-If you weren't a giant I would have picked you up, but I preferred to spare my poor bones and let you sleep.- Jon answered, smiling.He kept hoping that it was all just a paranoia, he continued to try to behave well, in case he had done something wrong that had led Tormund not to want to make love with him anymore.

Tor stroked his hair and approached him: -I can't blame you.Even if I would certainly have picked you up, small as you are.-

On hearing him so close, with his hoarse voice tickling his ears, Jon reassured himself a little: -I'm only small in height.-

Tormund winked at him: -I know well.-

And then Jon bit his lip and brought his lips close to his: -Quickie?-

And here, punctually, Tormund pulled back: -It's late, Jon: I have to go to work.-

Until two weeks ago Tormund would have screwed his job for a blowjob.And the suspicion that there was someone else now to give him blowjobs could not help but grow.

Jon gave him a very light pat on the chest: -Of course.Okay then: see you tonight.Don't be late like yesterday.-

Tormund raised his eyebrows, puzzled by that phrase: -It's work, Jon: it's normal that every now and then I’m late.-

Yes, but who assured Jon that it was really _just work?_

-You're right, just ... I don't want dinner to cool down again.- the young man muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

Tormund chuckled slightly bent over to greet Ghost, ruffling all the white fur: -It won't happen, trust me.-

I hope so, Jon thought.

Without adding anything else, Tormund started to leave the bedroom.Like that, without a word.Without those words.

-I love you.- Jon told him, as if to remind him that Tormund was usually the first to say it, even if he would have pretended nothing, as long as Tormund replied that he loved him too.But he didn't.He simply winked at him and left.

After deciding that between throwing his laptop against the wall and going out for a run, the second option was the most appropriate and effective way to dispose of the stress, Jon changed, grabbed Ghost’s leash (he never put the leash on his dog,but he brought it along it for safety) and went to the park.

Although his dog could never have beaten Robb's in terms of speed in running, he could still have run for kilometers more and faster than Jon, so he had no trouble keeping up with him.

Ghost was a loyal, faithful dog, as were his brothers and sisters, all of whom belonged to Jon's cousins;Ghost never left his owner’s side, as no other of his siblings ever left theirs side: Robb often said that they would be excellent service dogs, all except for Rickon's: Shaggydog was kind only to Rickon, his brothers and sisters and family members;if he met another dog or someone tried to pet him, he could have hurt someone.It had never happened, because they were all too afraid of his threatening aspect to approach him, human and other races.Needless to say, unlike Ghost, Shaggy should have been tied on a leash (muzzling included), and needless to day that this Rickon would not have allowed it even under torture.And it was precisely for this reason that Joffrey annoyed Rickon when he was alone, that is, on his way home from school, because otherwise he would have lost a few fingers and also something else.

However, when he saw one of his brothers or sisters, Shaggy became the most adorable doggy in the world.And the other dogs always ran after him when they saw him. Like Ghost at that moment.

Jon frowned, following his dog with his eyes: Shaggy was at the park, with a stick next to him and his big black muzzle facing a tree.And if Shaggy was in the park, then Rickon, who should have been in school, was also in the park.Where was he?In the point where his faithful wolf was looking: on the tree.

He approached the two dogs at a brisk pace: there he was, that wretch of his little brother, who moved through the branches with almost the same agility Bran had at his age.

-Rickon! Get down right now! - the 26-year-old yelled.

Rickon was taken aback.God, even Shaggy barked frightened at that scream.Jon saw Rickon slip, and almost passed out in fear: but when he realized that his little brother had clung to the branches just in time, he started breathing again.

-Never do it again! - Rickon shouted back.

Jon felt anger flow through his body instead of blood: -Me?!You must never do it again!Now get down! -

-I can‘t!I have yet to take my shoe! - exclaimed the boy.

Jon looked at his feet in disbelief: he was _really_ missing a shoe.

-Why is your shoe on a tree?! -

Rickon snorted loudly: -Because Sansa decided to date the biggest dickhead in history! - he made a small jump that terrified Jon, but he managed to climb higher and catch his shoe, stuck in the branches.

Jon ran his hands over his face: -Don't say bad words!And now _get down! -_

He saw Rickon roll his eyes: -Ugh ...- the boy jumped off the tree when he was still at too dangerous a height to throw himself, and Jon had to fight with all his might to resist the temptation to load him on his shoulder, carry himin the car and put it in a straitjacket. He guessed Rickon was throwing Shaggy a sticky, and that Joffrey had decided to bother him only when the dog was far enough.

As soon as his master returned with his feet on the ground, Shaggy put his big paws on his shoulders and licked him all over his face, until Jon destroyed the beautiful moment, intruding: -Why aren't you at school? -

The boy lost the smile he had when he was laughing with his dog: -Because Lyanna and Shireen are both sick, it's not fun to go to school without them! - he “explained".

Jon shook his head: - School isn't meant to be fun, you go there to learn!Come on, call Shaggy back and follow me: I'll take you home.-

It was already the second time in too little time that he found himself in that situation: the Starks were cursed rebels, the youngest especially.Ugh, he was seriously getting old.

Rickon's eyes widened: -But nobody‘s home! Do you really want to leave me home alone?-

No he didn’t: who knows what else he would have done.He could have blown up the microwave or leave the gas on and start a fire, or he would have left Shaggy and the other dogs to poop on the sofa, or he could have broken something worthy, in short, it would have been a disaster.But...

-It's always better than leaving you alone _outside_ : if I had arrived a minute later I would have to take you to the hospital _again_.-

Rickon immediately shook his head: -Nah-ah! After Robb's last outburst I promised myself to be more careful!-

Jon raised an eyebrow: -Yet here you are on a tree and without a shoe.-

The boy rolled his eyes: -Can I come home with you?- he asked.

Ah, absolutely not.Jon loved Rickon, he was the little baby of the family, but no, he couldn't take him home with him: he didn't have time to keep up with him, not with all the problems he already had.

-I have to work, Rickon.And you are a distraction, and you know it.- well, maybe that response had been a little harsh.Rickon looked down, and seemed pretty hurt.And Jon understood that he too must have had some problems, just like himself and Arya.

Jon sighed: -You promise me that you'll be good? -

This was enough to make the child feel good again: -You have a TV at home, right? -

Jon chuckled and messed the boy's hair: -Yes, of course. Come on, call Shaggy.-

Rickon stayed close to him all the way to Jon's house, just as Ghost did.Once they arrived, Rickon sat down on the sofa and turned on the TV, while Jon sat on the opposite side and reopened his laptop, trying to jot down some more paragraphs.Or sentences.Or words.Or ideas.But he was not able to.He had his head lost somewhere else: he was thinking of Tormund's behavior, and now also the sad face of his little brother.If even cartoons couldn't distract him, then something serious was really going on.

Jon went to the boy, and wrapped his arms around his slender body: -What's wrong? -

-Nothing.- He replied.

-Rickon ...-

-Is it true that you and Tor aren't fucking anymore? -

Little shit. He was as good at changing the subject as Arya was.

-Rickon!- Jon exclaimed, widening his eyes.

The boy shrugged: -Arya did nothing but yell this yesterday.-

-And you have to repeat everything she says? -

He repeated the gesture: -She’s the only funny person who‘s still home!Sansa would be too, but now she's always with Joffrey Dickhead Baratheon, and Bran is too smart to play with me, and now that Jojen Reed is there, he...- he was about to cry.Poor little one.Jon understood why: he missed his older brothers.Robb had been the first to leave to live alone, and Rickon hadn't taken it well. At all.Then it was Jon's turn, he had lived with Robb until he decided to move in with Tormund.Rickon still had the house full of older brothers and sisters, but Jon and Robb were the older ones, the ones the boy admired most.

-You feel lonely, right? - Jon guessed.

Rickon sighed, looking down: -With you and Robb it was more fun at home.-

-Oh, baby ...-

-Can't you come back home?We’ll find a place for Tormund, I promise you! - the child pleaded.

Jon smiled sadly: -Rickon...-

-Imagine how much fun it would be to have him home too! - he had just done it, and the only thought was anything but funny: those two could have destroyed an entire city if they had been together for more than a couple of hours.

-You and Tormund in the same room for ten minutes are a danger, I would never dare let you live in the same house.- he chuckled, stroking his strawberry blonde curls.

Rickon sighed: -You are the same as Robb ...-

-Maybe that's why you love me so much.- Jon smiled, knowing he had told the truth.Rickon tried not to smile, but failed.He crouched against Jon's side, returning to watch TV: -So it's true that you and Tor don't ...-

Jon shook his head: now he should also have called Arya and told her not to scream things about his private life, especially not in front of Rickon.

-You don't worry about that.- he said, while his lips rested gently on the boy's hair.

-But if you really don't, then does that mean you're going to break up? - a few hours earlier, on the phone, Robb had told him Rickon had said that Bran and Jojen would have to get married because Bran blushed whenever the boy was named,exactly as Jon did when it came to Tormund. Ironic, isn't it?

Jon shook his head: he knew how much the boy loved Tormund, so he tried to console both him and himself: -No, honey. I told you not to worry.It's all right between me and Tor.-

But it was a lie, and they both knew it.

Even before Robb and Jon could say hi, Ghost and Grey Wind (Robb's wolf) were jumping on each other, happy to see each other again.

-Hey.- Jon said to his cousin.

-Hi.-Robb smiled at him: that day he had the morning shift, and luckily he could finally spend an afternoon in peace with Jon, at the park.And Jon would have taken the opportunity to ask him a couple of questions: -A quick question: do you know what time Tormund got off work?-

Robb thought about it for a moment: -Pretty late: it was a bad day yesterday.-

He couldn't have said that to ward off Tormund's ass, could he?Even if he had no chance against him, Robb would have done his best to punch him if he ever hurt Jon.

-Oh, okay.- said the boy, slightly relieved: at least, Tormund hadn't gone out with someone else. That evening.

Robb raised an eyebrow suspiciously: -Hey, isn't it that the most beautiful couple in the world is in crisis?- He was joking, obviously, because nobody would have ever believed that Jon and Tormund could really go into crisis. Yet that was exactly how things were going now, and in noticing the silence of his cousin-brother, Robb frowned: -Jon.-

-It's that I feel him more distant ...-

-God, if you two break up I’ll stop believing in love.- yes, as if someone like Robb could never find love: he was the most beautiful boy in the city, and that was a fact.Even straight boys would have given him a shot. And if he really couldn't find love (which was somewhat impossible), at least he could have found fun.

-I’m afraid he might be cheating on me.- Jon confessed.

Robb snorted, amazed: -Don't be stupid, you know Tormund would never do it! - he exclaimed.

Jon, however, was not so convinced, not after what he had witnessed during those last weeks: -He would never even give up sex with me either, yet now every excuse seems good not to do it!- he felt tears in his eyes: he was in love with Tormund, and he always would have been.They were fucking getting married.Why did it all have to end right now?

-Okay, I don't want to talk about this: Rickon isn't doing very well, you know?- he changed the subject: he had already talked about it with Arya.God, even with Rickon.Robb would have been the one to give him better advice, but now he didn't feel like talking.Maybe sooner or later he would also talk to Uncle Ned about it.Although, to be honest, he would have so much wanted a mom and dad to talk to.

-What do you mean? Is the umpteenth bone he broke hurting him?- Robb asked, alarmed.

Jon snorted: -Probably yes, but the fact is that he feels lonely. He misses us.-

Robb sighed, and his eyes softened: -I know well: all he does is ask me to come back home.-

-He says that the only funny person is Arya, but I don't think they spend much time together ...-

-Of course, she is an eighteen-year-old girl, he is an eleven-year-old kid.And Arya has a boyfriend now.- The way Robb pronounced the word "boyfriend" was so hateful that Jon almost started laughing.

-Gendry isn't that bad.- he said: he didn't know him much, but he didn't seem like a bad guy.Of course, he had his own personality, but so did Arya.And they were cute together, much more than Sansa and Joffrey.Any couple was more beautiful than Sansa and Joffrey.

Robb shook his head: -Ah, let's not open the subject: he has a face that I can't stand, that dude.-

Jon patted him on the shoulder, while their dogs stopped rolling over each other and went to lie down next to their owners' legs: -Okay, let's talk about something else again: what about you? It‘s been a long time since we spent some time alone.- 

Robb suddenly became serious: -There is something that‘s bothering me, actually.- He confessed

Jon believed he already understood what he was referring to, because Tormund had told him about it: Tormund always spoke to him about Robb, so that he didn't have to talk about himself.

-Spit it out.- Jon said.

Robb sighed for a long time: -Do you know about that boy who risked drowning in the bathtub?-

Jon nodded, proud that his assumptions turned out to be correct: -Yes, the one Uncle Ned questioned together with the Hound .- The Hound was the nickname with which everyone in the family referred to Sandor Clegane, the one who always played the part of the bad cop.

Robb nodded yes: -Yes, him.-

-What happened with him?-

Robb scratched behind his ear: -That's it, he ... told Dad he was going to kill himself.Drowning himself.-

Jon didn't know what to say: -Oh.Did that upset you? -

But Robb shook his head: -It's bullshit, Jon: they called us because he and his boyfriend were fighting.And when we got there he was alone.And his boyfriend's face ... I didn't like it at all.-

Jon opened his mouth, but no sound came out of it: what was to be answered about such a thing?

-Are you sure it's not just a bad first impression?Usually the husband or boyfriend is the first suspected, but if the victim suffers from depression or something else, he may have attempted suicide ...-

Robb interrupted him: -There is something else.-

-Oh, okay.Tell me then.- Jon said.

-About two weeks ago I went to have breakfast with the boys.And I met him again.Theon, the guy I helped.He was with his boyfriend and ... when I asked him if everything was going well, his boyfriend arrived and held him very tightly.-

Robb was deeply disturbed by what had happened, he could read it in his face.But Jon was sure that if there had been something shady under that matter, Uncle Ned would have noticed and he would have thought about it.

-Maybe he thought you were flirting with Theon.- he suggested.

Robb shrugged: -Maybe. Or maybe not. Maybe he just wanted to make me understand that the boy was his property: you should have seen him, he was holding him so tightly that ... I think he even hurt him.-

-Robb ...- Jon leaned his head against the shoulder of the red-haired boy: he hated to see him so down.And, according to what Tormund had said, he was quite involved in that situation.Jon just hoped that if Robb was right, nothing would happen to that guy.Or at least, that Uncle Ned arrested his violent boyfriend.Maybe he could simply tell Ned to ask the dude a little more questions.

-I told Theon that if he ever needed help again he could call Dad or come directly to me, to the hospital, even to talk only.But he didn't accept and ... I don't know, there is something that doesn't sound right.- Robb continued.

Jon tried to play down the situation: -Well, you certainly can't start following him around and ...- but in saying this he only made it all worse: he had just given Robb an idea.An idea that he should not have followed: Robb was a paramedic, not a detective, let alone a cop.But judging by the determination with which he got up and called Gray Wind, Robb didn't care at all.

-Robb.- Jon began, trying to make him think: he could not do such a thing, he could have ended up being arrested for stalking.

-Robb! - he shouted, but he had already got into the car.

Two days later, Tormund returned home frighteningly late, again.Dinner was as cold as a block of ice, again.Jon thought Tormund had gone to fuck with someone else again.

-Hey! - Jon exclaimed, when Tormund, finally, if he could add, came back home.

-Hi, babe.- Tormund greeted him, ruffling his hair.No welcome back kiss.Just a mess of hair.Like you did with kids.But Jon did not give up, he tried to be positive, he tried to give him another chance.

He stroked his chest gently with both hands: -Today I managed to write a whole chapter from zero.And it came out long, moreover. Let’s celebrate? - it was not true, not true at all, but he had to try.

Tormund smiled: -How would you like to celebrate? -

Jon returned the smile: -Well, with a good wine and then maybe we could make love.We haven't been doing it for some time ...-

He saw Tormund sigh.Well, here we go again.

-Jon, it's been a long day, I'm tired.It is better if I go to bed right now. - he let go of him.Almost abruptly.

Jon felt the tears begin to sting his eyes: -But ... I made dinner. For both of us.- he protested in a whisper.

Tormund made a nonchalant gesture, going towards the bedroom: -Put it in the fridge, I'll eat it tomorrow during lunch break: there‘s a microwave at the hospital.-

Well wow, Jon didn't think he fell in love with such a huge dickhead. And suddenly, the sadness turned to anger: -You could have warned me that you weren’t planning to have dinner, I would have saved time.And I would have eaten at a decent hour.-

Tormund shrugged: -Sorry, next time I'll warn you.-

Jon almost laughed scornfully at the absurdity of those words: -Next time?Are you going to disappear all day and then go back to bed without even seeing me again? - are you cheating on me? Uh Tor, are you cheating on me?If so just say it.

Tormund crossed his huge arms to his chest: -What you call "disappear" is my job, and it saves lives.Not everyone can sit on the couch with a computer in front of them like you do.-

Jon opened his mouth wide, and for a moment he didn't know what to say: -Oh wow, you went from worrying about my health when I work too much to telling me that my work is useless. Thank you very much.- damn asshole.

-You know I didn't mean that.- Tormund replied, now calming down.He realized he had hurt him and now he regretted it, but it was too late.And it was too easy to be an asshole and then apologize.

-No, I don't know what you mean: I don't recognize you anymore.- Jon admitted: that was not the man he had decided to marry.Tormund made no excuses not to undress him, or even just not to kiss him.Tormund was in love with him.This man in front of him was not the love of his life.

Tormund rolled his eyes: -Just because I'm tired tonight and I'm not hungry? You're acting like a kid! -

Oh, he hadn't really said that.Not after returning home late for who knows how many nights in a row, not after starting to be afraid of fucking with the "love of his life", he couldn't have really told him that.

-This is not true!You are the one who does not behave correctly! - he exclaimed.

Tormund snorted. He fucking snorted : -Quit it Jon, you're doing a mess for nothing.-

-How can this seem nothing to you?It's been days since...- he would have told him everything.Everything he was doing and everything he thought.He would have told him, if Tormund hadn't decided to stop him: -Listen, I'm not in the mood to fight tonight.Let's talk about it tomorrow.-

He had come up an excuse again, but this time not for sex: he wanted to avoid talking to him about a serious matter.That was too much.

-You can also stay on the couch tonight, then.- He retorted bitterly, crossing his arms over his chest.

They never slept separately unless Tormund fell asleep on the sofa: they never got to the point of sleeping far apart when they argued, simply because they could make up before bedtime, and at that point they made love. Beautiful and healthy love.

Jon thought that such a threat would make him think, but it didn’t.Because Tormund got furious as well: -Oh no, forget it: I had a shitty day at work, they vomited on me at least five times and your cousin is a constant pestering me with his hatred for Gendry and his investigations on that guy he likes and I fucking need to rest. If someone really has to sleep on the sofa, I'm sorry, but this time it's your turn.-

And he left him there, at the hall, to cry.Tormund would never bear to see him cry.Still, Jon was alone now, hurt because of him.For a man who no longer loved him.

Still in tears, there was nothing left for him to do but lie down on the sofa and hold Ghost tightly.He did not know what time it was when he fell asleep: the thought that while he was there, crying, Tormund was instead sleeping soundly, and that destroyed him.

Especially because Jon could never stop loving him.Never.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully, Losing My Religion’s next update will come out by the end of the week...


End file.
